Riddled
by drjamband
Summary: turned into a way longer story than i first thought it would lol. an argument is only the beginning for the evolution of booth's and brennan's relationship.
1. I Hate You

**1-I Hate You**

"Give me another one."

"I think you've had enough, sir," the bartender said.

"I haven't had _nearly_ enough. Now give me another."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

Booth shrugged the hand off forcefully. "I don't want you to take me home."

"So call Dr. B," Hodgins suggested.

"Screw you, Hodgins."

"Booth, what the hell happened?" Booth sighed and rubbed his palm over his face slowly.

THREE DAYS EARLIER

"I told you not to read it!"

"Come on, Bones, why didn't you want me to? I loved it!"

"The reasons are none of your business."

"Oh, so there are reasons, plural?" She glared at him, arms folded tightly over her chest. "And they _are_ my business," he continued. "_You_ are my business so everything that you _do_ is my business."

"How dare you," she snarled. "You think because you're my partner that you own me!"

"No, I don't!" he countered.

"You're always with me, always doing things with me and saying things to me," she rambled.

"I like spending time with you!" he shouted frantically, throwing his arms up in the air. The door was open and he was pretty sure the entire apartment complex could hear their shouting match.

"Well I don't want you here _anymore_!" She stepped towards him and placed both hands on his chest, shoving him so hard that he stumbled and hit the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

"Bones," he tried to reason, but the door slammed loudly. He stood up and knocked on it. "Bones," he called. "Come on."

And then she said it. The one thing she could have possibly said to make him feel like the most unhappy, worthless person on Earth. "I hate you, Booth."


	2. Did You Eat Yet?

**2-Did You Eat Yet?**

Booth had let Hodgins drive him home, where he stumbled through the door and made for the bedroom. Without bothering to change, he collapsed onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow, sobbing.

He woke up three hours later with a splitting headache and a face sticky from tears, which continued to pour in his sleep. He trudged to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Looking up into the mirror, he noticed his disheveled appearance and bloodshot eyes. Sighing, he saw that it was now six AM and changed into a suit.

At nine o'clock he found himself wondering if she had eaten breakfast. Dialing her number, he prepared for an argument. "Brennan," she answered.

"Bones, it's-" was all he could get out before she hung up. He dialed again.

"Brennan," she answered in a slightly more annoyed tone.

"Do you want to-." Then silence. He sighed and called Wendell. "Wendell, it's Booth."

"Oh," Wendell said, sounding surprised. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you know if Bones has eaten breakfast yet?"

"Yeah, I saw her eating a bagel like a half hour ago. Why?"

Booth sighed loudly. "No reason. Just making sure she's OK. Thanks," he said, then hung up. _Great, she's eating without me_, he thought. He knew she was doing it on purpose, so that he'd have no excuse to come to her office.

Wendell knew better than to indulge in conversation with either Booth or Brennan about their partnership, so he went to the only person he knew would know something and that he could talk to without getting in trouble: Angela. He entered her office hesitantly, but smiled with relief when she greeted him with a grin.

"Can I talk to you, Angela?"

"Of course, Wendell. What's wrong?"

"Um, well, it seems like something's going on between Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan and…and Agent Booth just called me asking if Dr. Brennan had eaten yet today…."

"Oh, honey. Booth and Bren had an argument," Angela answered.

"Uh, doesn't that always happen?" Wendell asked.

"Well, yeah, but…this one's different." Wendell raised an eyebrow. "They haven't made up yet." Wendell raised the other eyebrow. "I don't what it's about," Angela continued hastily. "Bren won't talk to me about it. Typical. And Booth hasn't been here in _four days_. Something is definitely wrong."

"Do you think he told her he loves her?" Wendell asked.

"Maybe, but I haven't talked to Booth yet. It's strange he hasn't called me for advice."

"Maybe you should call him," Wendell suggested.

"Call who?" Hodgins asked, walking into Angela's office. "Are you talking about Booth and Dr. B?" They nodded.

"What happened, Jack?"

"Oh, uh, I don't really know…I mean Booth…." Angela gave him a glare that said, "I'm going to find out anyway," so he started talking.

"Wow, so she actually shoved him?" Angela asked in disbelief. Hodgins nodded. "Damn. I mean the only other time she physically hurt Booth was when…" she trailed off.

"When what?" Wendell asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"When she found out Booth was alive," Angela whispered. Wendell nodded in understanding. Another silence followed.

"Do you think we should talk to her?" Wendell asked.

"I don't know…." Hodgins answered.

"Actually," Angela interjected, "I think we should talk to Sweets."


	3. The Truth in the Lie

**3-The Truth in the Lie**

"I'm sorry, Angela, I just don't think discussing Agent Booth's and Dr. Brennan's issues without them present is a good idea," Sweets said, rearranging some papers on his desk.

"Why not? They haven't spoken in _four days_," Angela emphasized, crossing her arms.

"They need to work things out together for themselves. While I admire your commitment to your friendship with both of them as well as your concern for their well being as partners, I can't do it."

"Not just their well being as partners, Sweets. As individuals. This is killing them," she begged.

"I'm sorry, Angela. I really am."

Angela snorted. "You're just afraid Booth will shoot you."

Sweets didn't look up, and Angela was fuming. She finally huffed and stormed out of his office, heading back to the lab.

"I can't _stand_ him sometimes!" Angela vented.

"So I'm guessing it didn't go well?"

"No, Jack, it didn't. He said discussing their personal issues while they're not there wouldn't help them."

"I think we both know what you have to do," Hodgins said to her after a pause.

"Yeah," Angela breathed. "I just hate lying to her."

"Sweetie?" Angela asked as she knocked on Brennan's office door.

"Come in, Ange."

"Um, can I talk to you?" She saw the questioning look in her friend's eyes. "It's about me and Jack."

"Sure." Brennan knew better than to try to convince Angela that she was _not_ the one she should be talking to about such things. Angela always just said that she was the only one she could talk to, especially when it involved Hodgins.

"So Jack and I had this huge fight, and we're not exactly on speaking terms I guess," Angela started, biting her bottom lip a bit.

"What happened, Ange?" Brennan asked with concern in her voice, which made Angela feel worse.

"Well, I don't know, exactly. It's like…I don't think I've ever been this angry at him, you know? It's killing me. I can see he's hurting, but I don't want to say anything."

"Why not?"

"…I'm stubborn?" Angela knew that Brennan knew she was lying now.

"Angela, is this about me and Booth?"

Angela sighed. "Yes. But before you get angry just listen." Brennan opened her mouth but then shut it, waving her hand to indicate that Angela should continue. "Bren, you guys haven't ever acted like this before, not even when Booth first started coming around here. You know he'd never hurt you on purpose. He basically does whatever you say! He values you more than his own life. Please, Bren, I think you're hurting him. I know you don't want that," she finished quietly.

"You have no idea what I want!" Brennan screamed, startling Angela. "And how do you even know how Booth is feeling? Have you seen him? Have you _talked_ to him?" she demanded angrily.

"No," Angela said softly. "But Hodgins has."

Brennan hung her head. She knew Hodgins and Angela shared everything, and neither one would lie about something like this. She also knew that the team must be really concerned if Angela had resorted to lying to get the information. "And what did Hodgins tell you?" she asked in an icy tone. Angela knew better than to fabricate.

"He told us about the fight and that Booth seemed distraught, and then Wendell said Booth called him to make sure you'd eaten breakfast, and then I suggested we talk to Sweets-"

"You _what_?" Brennan interrupted. "Angela, you didn't go to Sweets, did you?" Angela was practically gnawing on her bottom lip as she nodded. "Angela!" she screamed. Brennan and Booth barely shared information with Sweets, especially about something this interpersonal. Now the kid was going to have a field day with this newfound set of problems.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie, but this is ridiculous. Just apologize to Booth."

"I'm not apologizing to him," Brennan scoffed. "_He_ invaded _my_ privacy."

"He reads your books anyway."

"Yes, but not before they're published."

"So?"

Brennan was about to answer when her cell phone rang. She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes in annoyance. That was Angela's cue. She moved quickly, grabbing the phone from Brennan's limp grip and answering it. "Booth!" she practically shouted.

"Hey, Angela," Booth said, chuckling. "Um, do you know where Bones is?" he asked, growing serious again.

"She's…she's right here," Angela answered while at the same time fighting Brennan off, who was now clawing for the phone.

"She probably doesn't want to talk to me, but…"

Brennan heard this and screamed in the direction of the phone. "FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE YOU'RE RIGHT, BOOTH! I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!"

"Bren!" Angela chastised.

"Angela-" Booth said, trying to get her attention, but the line went dead.

"I can't believe you," Brennan said.

"Me? What is _with_ you? He obviously wants to apologize, and in my opinion he wasn't even the one who was wrong!" Brennan barred her teeth in anger and Angela turned and walked back to her office. It wasn't until she was back sitting in her desk chair that she realized she still held Brennan's phone. She took it in both hands and quickly sent a text to Booth.

Meet me at the diner. NOW.

-Angela

Booth sighed and grabbed his suit jacket. He tapped his foot and whistled impatiently in the elevator. Once out, he practically ran to his SUV, shoving the key in the ignition once inside. He seriously considered using the sirens as he made his way to the diner.


	4. Sweet Talkin'

**4-Sweet Talkin'**

Angela had already ordered them drinks when Booth arrived, and he sat down across from her with an all-business look. "So," Booth started.

"Hodgins told me everything. I hope you don't mind," she said nervously.

"No, I don't mind. I just want Bones to forgive me."

"Forgive you for what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Angela, I upset her. And if I upset her, I did something wrong." Angela looked at him with affection. She was so happy for her best friend that she had someone like Booth in her life. He'd never let her push him away. She just hoped he was strong enough to push back harder.

"Maybe you should go to Sweets," she suggested. "I know you guys hate it there, but she'd have to be in the same room with you, and the issue would be brought up with both of you there."

Booth sighed. "I don't know."

"I already talked to him and Bren about it." Booth shot her a glare that made her insides cold. "I'm sorry, Booth, I just hate seeing you guys like this."

"It's OK, Ange," he said, putting his hand gently over hers. "Thank you," he whispered. By now their food had come and Booth was barely touching it.

"Booth?"

"Sorry, Ange. It's just…I don't know…she's never acted like that towards me. Except for when….."

"I know, honey. You don't have to talk about it."

"Do you think?...No. I mean, she got over that, right? We moved on."

"She trusts you, but she was crushed. Recovering from something like that isn't easy, especially for her. But I don't think it's that. She would've told me." Booth looked Angela in the eye and saw certainty. He gave a sigh of relief internally and went back to the current problem.

"Maybe I'll call Sweets."

A half hour later Booth was sitting on the couch across from Sweets, waiting for Brennan. "Usually I'm the one who's late," Booth said, attempting to break the silence with a joke. Sweets didn't laugh, and Booth frowned.

"Agent Booth, why don't we talk while we wait for Dr. Brennan?" Booth didn't respond. "Do you think you did something wrong?"

"No! I mean, I read them anyway. It's so annoying that she doesn't trust me. I mean, I can hold her life in my hands and I can't read her goddamn book?" he shouted, crossing himself after using the Lord's name in vain.

"I can't believe you're talking about me behind my back!" Brennan shouted from the doorway. "I didn't even want to come here, and now I remember why!"

"You know what, Bones? I didn't want to do this either, but you're the one dragging this whole thing out!"

"This is good, why don't we sit down-?"

"NO!" they both shouted at the same time. Sweets shrunk back into his seat. Booth and Brennan looked back at each other and actually growled.

"I wanted to make up, Bones. Now I don't know. You obviously don't value our friendship as much as I do," he said in a scarily low tone.

"Well I only came here because Angela made me," she responded. "And frankly I don't care if we're never friends again. I hate you!" she screamed as she stormed out.

"I wish you didn't," he said softly, and she turned in time to see sadness dart across his eyes before his expression turned angry again.

"You know she doesn't hate you," Sweets said after Booth had sunk back into the couch.

"I don't know, Sweets. She very well might."

Meanwhile, Brennan drove back to the lab, wiping away angry tears as she sped down the road. This was all Booth's fault. How could he betray her trust like that? But more than she (thought) she hated him, she hated herself for letting herself get so worked up. She was used to people letting her down. Just not Booth.


	5. So Professional

**5-So Professional**

He avoided the diner at all costs, which of course meant he ate left-over pizza and warm beer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He couldn't bring himself to order Thai or eat mac n cheese, so of course he felt crappy eating the pizza and drinking the beer.

"Booth," Cullen said gruffly as he entered Booth's office.

"Sir."

"Booth, are you drunk?"

"What? No, sir. I just…well…"

"Forget it, Booth. I need you take this file over to your squints."

Booth sighed. "Yes, sir."

Booth managed to scamper across the platform without anyone seeing him and made his way to Brennan's office. He peered in hesitantly and noticed she wasn't there. A sound behind him caused him to turn. Before he was halfway around he started speaking. "Hey, do you know where B-. Bones!" he said, startled. Although he couldn't place _why _he was startled. It was, after all, her office.

"What?" she snarled.

"Um, we have a case."

"Booth," she said, sticking her tongue out in disgust. She hated saying his name. "I think I'll request to work with a different agent."

"What? No. Bones, I don't know what your deal is, but this has to be about more than just the book. Now listen to me. You work with ME, and I work with YOU, and that is how it's going to be. Now if you don't want that, then I will not take this case and we can just let whoever this person is go free." He knew it was dirty to drag a third party into this, but he couldn't stop himself. If he couldn't at least work with her, he had nothing.

She practically flew by him, wrenching the file out of his grasp in the process. _Well, at least we're working together_, he thought. He didn't know how wrong he was.

The silence in the car ride was so unbearable Booth thought he might choke on the thickening air. "Don't argue with me when we get there. It looks unprofessional."

"Well then we've been looking unprofessional for four years."

"You know what, Bones?"

"No, what?" she replied snidely.

He smacked the steering wheel in frustration. "I've had just about enough of your antics. You either talk to me like a civilized person or don't talk to me at all." His face was serious and she felt a twinge of remorse.

They arrived at the crime scene shortly after and he roughly jerked her door open. He wished she would've at least shot him a glare, but she ignored him completely. "So, Bones. Whaddaya got?"

"Male, between 15 and 20 years old. Multiple fractures to the ulna and contusions on the phalanges."

"So…back to the Jeffersonian," Booth said hesitantly. He didn't want her to feel like he was intruding by making the call, but he finished the exact same sentence every week. Thankfully, she nodded curtly and snapped off her gloves.

Back at the lab, Booth swiped his card and headed onto the platform, standing opposite Brennan while she examined the remains. "Anything?" he asked.

"I've asked Mr. Bray to place the tissue markers for Angela, and I'm confident in saying that these contusions were caused by the fingers being bent back." Booth nodded, but Brennan couldn't see because she didn't look up at him. He stood awkwardly for a few moments before realizing that he was silently being dismissed. _She never does that to me_, he thought. He blew out a long breath through his nose.

"OK, I'll go see Angela."

Meanwhile, Angela and Sweets were watching from the balcony. "It's amazing how they can remain completely professional when the need arises," Sweets observed.

Angela sighed sadly. "She's not even looking at him. He looks so…_down_. Look!" she said suddenly, pointing to Booth, who was slinking away. "She just silently dismissed him. She never does that to him."

"Usually," Sweets started, "Agent Booth will poke and prod until Dr. Brennan concedes or they reach a compromise. Now it looks as if he's…."

"Giving up," Angela finished sadly.

"Yes," Sweets confirmed.

"God, this is worse than a soap opera. Oh, there's Wendell with the skull. I'll see you later, Sweets." Angela rushed off to her office to meet Wendell and start the reconstruction.

"Hey," Booth said softly.

"Hey," Angela returned. "Sit down." Booth slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs in Angela's office and watched as she drew on her sketchpad. She suddenly set it down and looked across the desk at Booth. His face was a mask of pain. "At least you seem to remain professional," Angela said, as if continuing an earlier conversation.

"Why is she doing this?" Booth asked exhaustedly.

"Only you can know the answer to that, Booth," Angela returned. Booth looked at her with a half-confused, half-annoyed expression. "Usually, you just keep going at her until she tells you what's eating her. As stubborn as she is, you never give up. I hate to say this, Booth, but in a way you're letting her down."

"Angela, she said she hates me. What am I supposed to say to that? It would be selfish of me to think that we could resume our friendship just because it's what I want."

"Oh, Booth, that is a load of crap and you know it." Booth's expression hardened. "And don't give me that look," Angela continued. "You know she still wants to be friends. I can see it's hurting her to go through this, and you can see it too. Don't let it fester. Just…keep prying. Please." Booth sighed and stood up. Angela offered him a smile and he left.

Hours later the victim had been identified and everyone had worked until it was late. Brennan was still working, and Booth had hung around the lab nearly all day. It was approaching ten o'clock when he finally pushed every other thought out of his mind and went to her office.

She was leaning over her desk looking at something on the computer. He leaned casually against the doorframe for a few minutes before taking a quiet, deep breath and entering the room. "Bones," he called softly. Her head shot up and their eyes met. He could see she was tired. "How about I drive you home?"

"No."

Booth took another deep breath. "OK…." He thought for a second. "How about I take you to get something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Bones, you look really tired, and I know you haven't eaten. Please. Please let me do something." He was begging quietly and could feel himself on the verge of tears.

"You want to do something? Leave. Go home and don't call me. I'll see you tomorrow." She brushed past him and he watched her leave. He eventually left the lab and drove past her apartment to make sure her light was on, but he couldn't be certain that she was alright.

That night he tossed and turned in his sleep. His sadness turned to worry, and his worry turned to anger. No matter how much she hated him, he loved her and he wasn't about to let her push him away. He couldn't even believe he'd let it go on for this long. He barely got any sleep as he worked out his plan.


	6. Gruff and Tumble

**6-Gruff and Tumble**

The next day he sped over to the Jeffersonian after checking in at the Hoover. He stormed through the doors and onto the platform, where he saw Brennan discussing something with Hodgins. Her back was to him, and he saw Hodgins' eyes widen at his purposeful stride.

"Um, Dr. B…."

"Yes, Hodgins?" He could only point at the man coming towards them, and she turned around just in time to see Booth, who was now right next to her.

"Let's go," Booth said gruffly, grabbing her arm and dragging her in the direction of her office.

"Get off me!" she screamed.

Booth swiveled to face her, his hand still maintaining its tight grip on her arm. "Bones, we can do this one of two ways." He had his interrogation face on, and she could see that he meant business. "You can cooperate, or I can drag you." She paused for a second before pulling her arm in an attempt to free herself. "I knew it," Booth said, putting his other arm around her waist and lifting her over his shoulder.

"Let. Me. GO!" she yelled, sounding like a spoiled child. She was hitting his back and kicking her legs, but Booth was undeterred. He threw open her office door and sat her in a chair. He then pulled one over for himself and sat across from her. Brennan had crossed her legs and arms and was looking off to the side, her foot jiggling impatiently in the air. Booth leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, simply waiting with the same expression on his face.

Finally Brennan got up angrily, but Booth stopped her, forcing her back into the chair. Brennan ground her teeth. Booth placed his hands on her arms, his face inches from hers. "Look at me," he demanded. She pretended not to hear him. He put his hands on her cheeks and turned her head so they were face to face. Their eyes held and she slapped at his hand. "Temperance Brennan, stop it right now!" he yelled. Her eyes widened a little at his serious tone and use of her name. "I am so tired of this, and it's my fault for letting you act like a spoiled brat while I tried to figure out what was making you so upset."

"That's it!" she cried. She saw he was waiting for her to elaborate, so she did. "Were you not paying attention? You knew I didn't want you to read it! And now you're acting like I'm the bad guy because you betrayed my trust!"

Booth's face fell. "I didn't know you didn't want me to read it," he said quietly.

"Yes you did! You are so…"

"Bones," he said, silencing her. "I thought…I thought you were kidding, you know? I don't know. I guess I didn't see why you wouldn't want me to read it. I thought you trusted me."

"I did. I do. It's just…"

"What, Bones?" he whispered.

"If you didn't like it, then I wouldn't have the confidence to get it published." She hid her face in her hands in embarrassment.

Booth searched his partner's eyes and knew that wasn't the only reason for her actions, but he went along with it. "Bones," he chuckled, moving her hands away from her face and placing his index finger under her chin. "How could I not like the book? And even if I didn't, I didn't know my opinion mattered so much to you."

"How could you not know that, Booth?" Booth brushed the hair away from her face and she leaned into his touch. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and Booth pulled her close. "I guess I just got insecure. I…I shouldn't make excuses. Of course I trust you, Booth."

"Then why don't you tell me the real reason why you didn't want me to read it?" he suggested.

Brennan knew she was stuck. Damn Booth and the way he coyly fit what he wanted into every conversation. "I didn't want you to think…well, you know…with you believing that you're Andy and all…." _I didn't want you to know that Andy and Kathy are really me and you. I didn't want you to turn the pages and feel like you were reading my diary. But most of all I trust you to know what's right for me, and if you read those things you'd know it's you…and I'm scared of that._

Booth was confused. "Didn't want me to think what?"

"Oh. Well…he and Kathy had some very intense sexual scenes, and I had written notes in my manuscript, and I didn't want you to be uncomfortable because seeing those things in my handwriting can make the experience more person and with you thinking you're Andy-"

"Woah, first of all, I do _not_ think I'm Andy," Booth cut in. "That's guy's got nothing on me. Secondly, you're saying that you're afraid that I think that the…the, um…S-E-X between Andy and Kathy is somehow based on…" _There's no way. Absolutely no way that…stuff is based on us. She just thinks of me as a friend. Andy's probably based on some old boyfriend. Whoever that guy is, I'll kill him._

"Yes," Brennan confirmed, breaking Booth's train of thought. "Because the sex isn't, obviously."

"Obviously," Booth agreed. _We'd have way better sex than they do._

"But I didn't want you to think that. I know how uncomfortable that makes you. And for us to remain close friends and partners it shouldn't be," she took a deep breath, "awkward."

Booth smiled. "I agree."

"Good," she nodded. "I apologize."

_She's back_. "I'm sorry too, Bones. I shouldn't have assumed anything. I would never do anything like that on purpose. I guess I just felt like you weren't putting any trust in me. I…I couldn't deal with that, Bones. I couldn't deal with letting you down again."

Brennan pulled away and looked at Booth. "You haven't ever let me down," she said softly. She saw the question in his eyes and she simply shook her head. He pulled her close and they stood silently, Booth rocking her back and forth gently. "Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"You know I don't hate you, right?"

"How stupid do you think I am?" Brennan hesitated, but grinned when she saw Booth's perfect smile.


	7. Bedroom Eyes

**7-Bedroom Eyes**

"I wonder what's going on in there," Angela whispered.

"I don't know. I can't hear anything," Hodgins whispered back in a frustrated tone.

"You think they made up?" Angela asked.

"I can't tell," Hodgins replied, moving his head around as he tried to see between the closed blinds.

Angela heard voices getting closer, and ran to grab Hodgins. "Come on," she hissed as she attempted to drag him away from the window.

"Ange, stop, I'm trying to hear."

"What?" Hodgins froze and stood like a deer in headlights at the commanding sound of Booth's voice. Angela just stood and bit her lip.

"I…I, um…" Hodgins muttered. Booth started striding towards him, but Brennan caught him on the elbow.

"Booth." He stopped and looked at her. Angela raised an eyebrow at Hodgins. "They were just trying to help."

"By eavesdropping?" Booth asked.

"If you guys told us more…." Angela suggested.

"There are some things you shouldn't know," Booth practically growled back.

"Sorry. You're right," Angela mumbled.

"Come on, Booth, let's go get some pie," Brennan said softly, lightly tugging at his elbow.

"Angela certainly seems to be taking an interest in us lately," Brennan observed as she played with her fork.

"Hasn't she always?" Booth asked as he finished off his pie.

"Hmm, I guess so. Maybe it's more forthcoming now."

"Maybe." They sat in silence for a few minutes before Brennan spoke up.

"I think…well, I think I know why."

"Why what?"

"Why Angela has seemed so interested in our affairs lately."

"Woah, Bones, don't use that word, OK?"

"What word?"

Booth paused. "'Affairs.' It sounds like…you know…." He motioned with his hands and raised his eyebrows.

"Why not? It's a perfectly acceptable synonym for a multitude of other words such as-"

"OK, Bones, I get it. Why do you think Angela has been so interested lately?"

"Well…she's always wanted…" she trailed off, bowing her head to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"What, Bones?" Booth asked softly.

She raised her head and met his eyes. "She's always wanted me to sleep with you." Booth nearly choked.

A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS EARLIER

"Mmm, sweetie, that agent you're working with is mighty fine," Angela said, smirking as she looked up from her sketchpad.

"I hadn't noticed," Brennan responded clinically.

"Oh, come on, Bren. He's _gorgeous_. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

"No, Ange, I haven't."

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, regardless, I think you should sleep with him."

"Angela, what are you talking about?"

"He's the perfect guy! He's charming, handsome, sexy, has a great body-." She was cut off by Brennan snapping at her.

"He's cocky, overprotective, annoying, always has to drive, pries into my personal life, hands me my coat, force feeds me-." Now it was Brennan's turn to be cut off.

"Sweetie, did you ever think he's just trying to be nice? You know, be your friend?"

"No." Angela sighed again and Brennan left her office.

"And ever since then she brings it up quite often. Less now than she used to though. I think it'd be quite tiring to keep something like that up."

Booth was fiddling with his fork and smoothing his tie, trying hard not to blush at Angela's description of him. He winced a little when Brennan described what she thought of him then. Hey, he hadn't liked her all that much either, but it pained him to think they could have been so constantly angry with her each other. "Well, you know Angela," he said a bit nervously. "Sex is always on her mind." Brennan just nodded, somewhat lost in thought. "Come on, Bones. I'll take you back to the lab."

That night Booth lay awake in his bed. He was on his back with his hands on his stomach, one on top of the other. Every few minutes he glanced at the empty space next to him, wondering. Wondering what it would have been like if he and Brennan had slept together back then. It would have been awkward, to say the least. But now…now it would be different. Nothing would make him happier than to look over at Brennan every night and every morning. He turned on his side and fell asleep.

Brennan lay on her side, tracing random patterns on the sheet in the spot next to her. She wondered what it would have been like if she had slept with Booth all those years ago. It would have been awkward for him, and probably just another night with some guy for her. But now…now it would be a totally different story. Booth was her best friend, and it could never be something random without any repercussions like it could have been when they first met. Now they were both dug so deeply into each other's lives that sleeping together would actually mean something. But what, she didn't know. She soon turned on her back and fell asleep.

Brennan rolled out of bed upon hearing the incessant knocking of whom could only be Special Agent Seeley Joseph Booth. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she grumbled as she trudged to the door. She swung it open agitatedly to a smiling Booth holding two steaming cups of coffee. He had to stifle a groan on seeing her in the morning. Her hair was slightly messy and her eyes were adjusting to the daylight, but damn she looked beautiful. He so badly wished he could see this every morning, under different circumstances of course. "What are you doing here? Do we have a case?"

"No," he said, stepping inside and handing her one of the coffees. She looked at him with one eyebrow raised as she took a slow sip. "We're celebrating your book," he said cheerfully.

_By reenacting all the sex scenes?_ "This early?"

"Come on, Bones, it's seven. Take a shower and I'll wait for you." After a moment she nodded and set her cup down. Booth stretched out on the couch, intending to close his eyes for only a few minutes. Despite this intention, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

An hour later Brennan padded out to the living room to see Booth sleeping softly on her couch. She gently placed her palm on his cheek. "Booth," she called softly. "Booth, wake up." Booth chuckled and put a hand over hers. Brennan giggled and shook him with her free hand. "Booth, come on, it's eight," she said. Booth's eyes flew open and he sat up, rubbing his eyes groggily. Brennan tried to hide her smile as she realized how cute Booth was when waking up. Then the realization that she'd love to see that every morning hit her, and she shifted focus. "You said we were going to celebrate."

"We are, Bones." Booth opened his eyes and really saw her for the first time since she'd showered and dressed. He smiled. "You look great today." Brennan blushed, which made Booth smile even more.

Brennan saw this and turned playful. "You're just saying that so you can see me blush." She hoped he didn't catch the dash of hurt in her voice.

"Come on, you know I wouldn't do that," he answered as they headed towards the door. _You really are so beautiful_.


	8. Take Me Out to the Ball Game

**8-Take Me Out to the Ball Game**

They were enjoying the warmth of the sun as they sat next to each other on a blanket in the grass. They ate lunch and drank wine, laughing and talking, glad that they had resolved their misunderstanding. As Booth finished his sandwich he rolled over onto his stomach, propping his chin in hands. Brennan did the same, allowing her a better view of his profile. Booth looked to his left with a soft smile and a raised eyebrow. "I'm proud of you, Bones."

"You are?" she asked.

"Yeah!"

"For what?"

Booth looked at her with an amused expression, to which Brennan responded by raising her eyebrows. "Everything," he said. "The book is great." He took a deep breath. "I'm…I'm always proud of you, Bones."

"You are?" she repeated.

"How could I not be?" he said softly.

_He thinks way too much of me. He couldn't possibly be proud of me all the time. I mean, I've done a lot of impressive things but come on. Then again, Avalon said he knows the truth about me. Booth knows me better than I know myself._

"You OK there, Bones?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. How about you?" she answered nervously.

"I'm great." _Because you're here_, he added in his head. Their eyes remained locked for who knows how long until they were startled by a young boy clearing his throat.

"Excuse me," he interrupted. He looked to be about 15 years old, with floppy brown hair, a slightly lanky frame, and a baseball glove on his left hand. "Um, we were playing a pick-up game over there, and two of our guys just left, and we need two more people so…"

"We're in," Booth said excitedly, grabbing Brennan by the hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Booth, what? I don't know anything about baseball!" Brennan was arguing with Booth's back as he strolled and she stomped towards the field. The boy handed them both a glove and they stood in the outfield.

"Don't worry, Bones. You'll be fine," Booth encouraged. There were two outs in the top of the ninth, and the third was a strikeout. The teams switched places, and Booth and Brennan watched from the dugout as the first man up struck out.

"You're up after Billy," a young boy with sandy blonde hair said to Booth. "And then you," he said to Brennan. She glanced at Booth with panic in her eyes.

"It's alright, Bones," Booth chuckled. "Come here." They stood up and exited the dugout, walking to the side. Booth stood behind Brennan as he put the bat in her hands. "OK, so," he started, placing his hands over hers. "Put your right hand on top, and your left hand underneath it, like that. Now bend your right elbow and put the bat near your ear. Good. Now," he continued, "bend your knees." Brennan did so and Booth held in a gasp as his hips pressed against her backside.

"Was that wrong, Booth?" she asked him innocently.

"No…no, it's…it's perfect, Bones." He swallowed and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands over hers again. "So, to swing, step forward with your left foot and stretch your arms out all the way. Now let your right wrist roll around your left," he explained as he helped her slowly swing the bat. "Make sure your follow through until the bat's behind you." He stepped back and watched her finish her swing, concentrating hard on his memories of Little League in order to distract himself. "Good job, Bones. Come on, we're up."

They jogged back over to the dugout and Booth took a bat, swinging it on his way to the plate. One of the kids whispered something in his ear and he nodded before approaching the plate. The pitch came right down the middle and Booth held his bat horizontally as he turned his feet to face forward, laying down a flawless bunt. He hustled to first and arrived safely. Brennan approached the plate nervously, picking up the bat Booth had used and glancing at him. He gave her a reassuring nod and she held the bat just had he'd taught her. The pitcher released the ball and she swung, missing. She glanced at Booth again and he gave her a thumbs up. Brennan shook her head and got ready for the next pitch.

The pitcher released and Brennan swung, her mind registering the crack the connection of the bat and the ball elicited. The ball went soaring in a perfect arc past the outfielders. "Bones, RUN!" Booth yelled as he sprinted around the bases. Brennan dropped the bat and followed Booth around the bases. One of the outfielders had gotten to the rolling baseball and was throwing it to the cutoff man. Brennan was rounding third as the ball neared the infield. "Hurry up, Bones!" Booth yelled excitedly as he waved her home. Brennan crossed the plate safely and Booth immediately wrapped her in a celebratory hug. Their entire team ran out and lifted Brennan onto its shoulders, to which she reacted with a squeal and a laugh. Booth carefully monitored the location of all seven pairs of hands as the team cheered and carried Brennan off the field.

They had collected the blanket and the remaining food and were on their way back to Brennan's apartment. "Thanks, Booth," Brennan said, rolling her head to look at him from the passenger seat.

"My pleasure, Bones. Again I have to say I'm proud of you."

"Well," she responded, "I have you to thank."

"Nah, you're a great student."

"Only because you're a great teacher." Images of fixing his pipe flashed through Booth's mind.

They arrived and Brennan showered first. Booth plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV, finding the Phillies game. A couple innings later Brennan came out and joined Booth on the couch.  
"Hey, baseball," she said, smiling at her partner. He looked at her and smiled back widely. "Uh, Booth?" she asked nervously, biting her bottom lip.

"What's wrong, Bones?" he asked, turning to face her as his brow wrinkled with concern.

"Will, um…will you teach me more? About baseball?"

Booth leaned back. "Of course, Bones. Just let me shower."


	9. BrotherLee Love

**Hey, everyone. Thanks to you who are reading and to those of you who added me to your updates! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think!**

**Also, sorry if these chapters seem like fillers. They kind of are, but not for long. =D **

**And yes, this was written when Cliff Lee pitched for the Phillies. =)**

**9-BrotherLee Love**

Booth came out rubbing a towel on his wet hair and sat next to Brennan, who was watching the game while chewing her lip. He knew she was thinking. "What's the score, Bones?"

She glanced to the left corner of the screen. "One-nothing Phillies. Chase Utley hit a homerun," she said proudly.

"Hey, just like you," Booth said. Brennan nodded and turned back to the screen.

"There are still some things I don't understand," Brennan said hesitantly.

"OK, like what?"

"Well for one, how does the man behind the plate decide when the player is out?"

Booth chuckled. "That guy's called the umpire, and when you get three strikes you're out. If you get four balls before you get three strikes, you walk to first," he explained, trying to remember how he made Parker understand so he could explain it in the same way to Brennan. She nodded. Just then Derek Jeter grounded the ball to second and Chase Utley threw him out.

"How come he's out?"

"When the player tags the base with the ball before the runner gets to it, the runner's out. If not, the runner's safe." A lot more explaining went on as Brennan realized that the rules of baseball were very complicated.

"Alright, Bones, let's see what you've learned," Booth said after the game was over. Brennan looked at him and, although it was a simple challenge, he could see that she was taking it seriously and she was ready. "How many men on the field at once?"

"Nine."

"Right. Who was the starting pitcher tonight?"

"Cliff Lee."

"Good. Now…let's see…who's my favorite Phillie?"

She thought for a minute, then her eyes lit up. "No fair," she said softly. "You never told me."

He leaned closer. "Guess." They were in very close proximity as she thought.

"I don't know. Who's your favorite Phillie, Booth?"

"Uh, you know," he said in a low voice as he stared into her eyes. "Um, it's…um…." He was completely distracted by her and couldn't think of anything else. "Chase Utley!" he finally said in triumph. She nodded, as if accepting a fact.

"Did you ever want to be a baseball player, Booth?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Every boy does."

"Does Parker?"

"He loves baseball, but ever since you got him into science I don't think so," Booth laughed.

"I'm sorry." Brennan couldn't understand if Booth was genuinely happy or if he was actually disappointed that his son didn't harbor the dream of being a professional athlete.

"For what, Bones?"

"It must be difficult to see your child not be interested in something you are."

"Bones, no, that's not what I meant. Parker loves baseball, and I want him to do whatever he wants to do. Within the law, of course." Brennan realized, not for the first time, how caring and genuine a person Booth really was. "Tell you what," he said, interrupting her thoughts, "I have Parker this weekend, and we'll go see a Phillies game."

"Really?"

"Sure thing, Bones." They both grinned and settled back into the couch, at which point Booth awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Thanks for teaching me about baseball," she finally said as she lightly patted his knee.

Booth gulped. "No problem," he said a little shakily. He couldn't help thinking about what it would feel like to have that hand slide up a foot or so…

"Booth?"

"Huh? What? Sorry, Bones."

"I asked if you wanted a drink."

"Oh, yeah. I'll come with you." He got up blushing and tried to get his thoughts in order as he trailed his partner into the kitchen.


	10. That's Flyer Hockey

**10-That's Flyer Hockey**

"Hey, Bones," Booth said into the phone.

"Hi, Booth. What's going on?"

"Well, I tried to get some baseball tickets but the Phillies are playing the Mets this weekend so it's all sold out. Big rivalry. But, um, well…would you wanna go to a hockey game?"

Brennan smiled. Ever since she saw Booth play hockey she secretly loved it, even though she didn't really understand it. "I would love to."

"Great!" Booth responded enthusiastically. "Parker and I will be by soon to pick you up." They said their goodbyes and Brennan was nervous. She didn't know what to wear or what to expect at all. She bit her lip and courageously faced her closet.

A half hour later Booth's knock permeated the apartment, followed by Parker's excited voice. Parker leapt forwards once the door was opened and babbled about excited he was. Brennan looked up and saw Booth standing quietly in the background, watching the exchange between her and his son. Her breath caught in her throat at that image of him. "Hey, Bones," he said softly. "Parker," he said, getting the boy's attention. "Go to the bathroom and we'll leave." The boy hurried off and Booth and Brennan sat on the couch.

"I'd say he's excited," Brennan said. Booth looked at her and they both laughed.

"Here," he said, reaching into his coat pocket. "I almost forgot." He pulled out a long orange and black striped scarf that said "FLYERS" in bold black letters. Booth stretched out the scarf and carefully laid it around his partner's neck. He smiled as she touched it while holding his gaze.

"Dad, Dr. Bones, come on!" Parker whined, breaking the moment.

"Let's go, pal," Booth said, standing up and swinging a giggling Parker over his shoulders.

They arrived at the Verizon Center quickly thanks to Booth's FBI driving. The walk to the building was a little cold as the wind whipped lightly around them, and Brennan was grateful for Booth's scarf. "Luckily the Flyers are in town," Booth said as they made their way to their seats. Brennan sat between Parker and Booth and let Parker explain all the players to her. Booth then explained some of the rules and the game was underway.

Halfway through Parker climbed on to Brennan's lap. "Having fun, Bones?" Booth asked with a smile.

"Of course," she replied easily. "I have to confess…" she trailed off, her eyes flicking towards the floor.

"What?" Booth asked softly.

Brennan took a deep breath. "Ever since I watched you play hockey…I've always secretly liked it."

"Really?" Booth asked, surprised. She nodded. "Bones, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well…I know sports are your thing. I didn't want to take that from you," she answered honestly.

"Bones, look at me." She did. "I love hockey. And when you love something you want to share it with the people you lo-…with the people you're close to." Brennan smiled, apparently not catching Booth's almost-slip of the tongue. They were again staring at each other when Booth heard the crowd roar and out of his periphery saw something coming towards them. "Woah!" he let out as he stuck out his left hand and caught the puck that had gone out of play.

"Way to go, Dad!" Parker cheered happily.

"Booth, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Bones."

"Dad, look!" Parker exclaimed, pointing. Booth's and Brennan's eyes followed to see Booth on the big screen, so he waved and the crowd cheered, rewarding him for catching the elusive puck-gone-out-of-play. Booth handed Parker the puck and kissed him on the head.

"Booth, let me see your hand," Brennan said after a moment. "It might be broken."

"It's just bruised," he said lightly as he thrust his hand towards her, palm up. She touched it gingerly and he winced. She pushed a little harder and he yelped. "Geez, Bones, what are you doing?"

"Sorry, I had to make sure. But it doesn't seem to be broken."

"See?" he countered, smiling. "I told you there was nothing to worry about."

The Capitals iced the puck and the Kiss Cam came on. Booth looked up and sunk a little in his seat. _They won't show her, they won't show her. There are thousands of people here_, he reassured himself as he watched everything from pecks on the cheek to almost X-rated groping take place. But they did show her. Just not with him. There he was staring at the woman he loved and his eight-year-old son appearing on the Kiss Cam.

"Dr. Bones, we have to kiss!" Parker shouted. He squirmed in her lap until he was facing her and threw his arms around her neck, planting a kiss right on her lips. The crowd laughed and awwed while Booth ran a hand over his face. His son had gotten farther with Bones than he had. And to make matters worse, it was 2-1 Caps in the third.


	11. Storm Runner

**11-Storm Runner**

Booth picked up a sleeping Parker as they made their way to the car. Starting the engine and checking the clock, he realized how late it was. "Geez, Bones, it's already eleven. Why don't you just stay with me?" he asked as the sky grew ever darker and rain began to pour. The game had gone into overtime and the Flyers had won, which put one bright spot on the evening.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure." She agreed and he only half-suppressed a grin as he navigated his way back to his apartment.

After carrying Parker inside and getting him to bed, Booth and Brennan went to their separate rooms. The wind was howling, the thunder was booming, and the lightning was flashing. Brennan knew all the science behind storm-associated phenomena, but she could never quite shake the scared feeling she got when storms got really bad.

Booth, on the other hand, could sleep through anything. Although he slept lightly, he still actually slept. The storm wasn't dying down, and Brennan couldn't sleep. A bolt of lightning cracked a tree branch outside, and before she knew it she leapt out of bed and made her way down the hall. She threw open Booth's door and jumped in the bed, pulling the covers over her.

"Parker?" he mumbled sleepily, but upon opening his eyes he realized it was Brennan. "Bones, you OK?" he asked, propping himself up on one elbow.

"I'm scared," she whimpered, tugging him back down by his t-shirt. Booth looked slightly confused, but when thunder rolled loudly outside and Brennan flinched, he got it.

"It's OK, Bones. It's just a storm," he said quietly as she moved right next to him. Her eyes were squeezed shut tightly and her hands were clenched into fists. "Here, Bones," Booth said, reflexively slipping his arms around her and she instantly relaxed. Both were more than half asleep when Booth placed a kiss on her head and she moved even closer to him. Neither of them really noticed.

Booth woke up the next morning and breathed what smelled like rainwater. _What?_ he thought as his head shot up and he looked down. His nose had been pressed to Brennan's forehead, and a smile graced his features as he thought of spending the night with her. He smoothed some hair back from her face and she sighed, opening her eyes sleepily. "Hi," she said, her voice husky.

His breath caught in his throat. "Sleep well?" he asked. She nodded. Just then a knock sounded through the bedroom.

"Dad?"

"Oh, um, hold on, pal," Booth stammered.

"Booth," Brennan whispered, "I don't think Parker should see us like this."

"Well, it's not like we were doing anything," Booth countered.

"Yes, but he might think…"

"Bones, he's eight." Their voices were getting slightly louder with each counter argument as they started bickering.

"He's quite smart."

"Yeah, I know," Booth said agitatedly. "Look, just…go in the bathroom or something." Once it was safe Booth yelled for Parker to come in, and the boy jumped onto the bed happily.

"Dad, can we have French toast?"

"Sure, bud. Why don't you start things in the kitchen?"

"OK!" the boy exclaimed excitedly and ran towards the kitchen. Brennan emerged from the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Oh, how Booth just wanted to grab her and pull her closer. Booth opened his mouth to speak, but Parker's call interrupted him.

"We'll talk later," he breathed, and before she could respond he was out the door.


	12. Love Means Nothing

**12-Love Means Nothing**

Parker was setting the table while Booth and Brennan made French toast in the kitchen. "Bones, I-" he started, but was cut off by Brennan's ringing cell phone.

"Brennan," she answered. "OK, sounds great. Sure, seven. Bye, Ange." She turned to Booth. "Angela wants us to go over Hodgins' tonight. They just got the Wii, whatever that is."

"Seriously?" Booth asked.

"Yes, Booth, I'm quite serious."

"No, Bones, I mean you don't know what the Wii is?" She shot him a look. "It's a videogame system, but it's…it's amazing. Wireless controllers and everything!"

"Sounds fun," she replied. "Would you like to go with me?"

"Yes, Bones. I would love to go with you." They finished the French toast, and between Parker's chatter and the excitement of going to Hodgins', they had completely forgotten to talk. Or so they thought.

Brennan went home to change and Booth dropped Parker off and got ready for the night. He picked Brennan up at 6:30 and headed to Hodgins'.

"Alright, everyone's here!" Hodgins said excitedly as everyone gathered in the living room. "The game is Wii Tennis and the teams are guys versus girls. Angela and I will demonstrate."

"You better be ready, Hodgie," Angela warned playfully.

Although neither were particularly athletic Hodgins won easily with Angela promising to get him back in a rematch. Next up were Cam and Wendell, and the guys were confident they would win it with the intern.

The girls cheered loudly for Cam, the cheers growing louder as it became 30-0 Cam. Cam scored again, making it 40-0. "Match point," the game sounded, and Cam served a smoking shot that Wendell couldn't return.

"Nice ace, Cam!" Angela shouted as the girls high-fived. The guys had won one game as had the girls. "Come on, sweetie, you got this," Angela encouraged as Brennan took the controller.

"Come on, Booth. Man code," Hodgins said.

Both took a deep breath and started the game. Booth served and Brennan returned, but Booth scored the first point. "15-love," the game said. Booth scored the next point and it became 30-0.

"You got it, Booth!" the guys shouted, feeling confident.

Brennan came back and scored twice in a row. The girls cheered wildly as the guys prayed. Booth scored the next point and the guys jumped up and down.

"It's not over yet, boys," Angela reminded them.

Brennan scored and the girls cheered. "Deuce," the game said. Booth swallowed and raised his arm to serve. Brennan scored and the guys sank farther back into the couch. "Advantage: front team."

"Ah, sweetie, you're gonna win!" Angela shouted.

"It's not over yet," Hodgins remarked snidely.

After a long volley Booth scored and it was back to deuce. Cheers rang out as all contestants were on the edge of their seat, watching the contest while holding their breath. Booth gained the advantage, only to have Brennan bring it back to deuce.

"This is why if they ever had sex, it'd be _hot_," Angela whispered to Cam, who nodded.

After another ten minutes it was deuce again. "What is this, like the ninth time?" Hodgins asked.

"Don't listen to him, sweetie," Angela told her best friend. She and Hodgins shared a glare as Booth served.

"Advantage: front team."

"Woo-hoo!" Angela cheered.

Booth took a deep breath and served. Brennan whacked a forehand which Booth countered with a backhand. Brennan then smacked a Roger Federer-like slice that Booth just missed. Brennan's jaw dropped in amusement and Angela and Cam cheered and swarmed around Brennan, hugging her and babbling while Hodgins and Wendell slapped Booth on the back and offered their support.

The crowd eventually moved away from the pair and everyone was talking excitedly around the couch. Booth grabbed Brennan's wrist and pulled her to within a foot of him. He leaned close to her ear and she had to fight to keep her eyes open and not let his presence overwhelm her. "Good game, Bones," he rumbled, and she shivered. Her wide eyes met his confident ones, but in a flash he had moved away. They seriously needed to talk.


	13. Promises, Promises

**13-Promises, Promises**

"Bren?" Angela called softly. No answer. "Bren?" she asked again. Still nothing. "BRENNAN!" Brennan jumped and turned to face Angela.

"Angela, you scared me."

"Yeah, well, I had to. I called you like three times."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What do you want?"

Angela ignored the question as she had realized there was a more pressing issue that peaked her curiosity. "What's got you so distracted?"

"Nothing," Brennan answered quickly, the high pitch of her voice indicating that she was lying. Angela narrowed her eyes. "Fine," Brennan sighed. "Booth and I need to talk."

"So talk."

"No, I mean…I mean it's not that easy."

"Why not?" Angela was pretty sure she knew why not, but she needed to hear her friend say it.

Brennan took a minute to collect her thoughts so she could articulate them. "Things have been different between us lately and he said we'd talk but we never got the chance, and now it's…."

"Awkward?" Angela finished.

"Yes," Brennan agreed.

"How do you mean 'different?' Did something happen?"

"No! Well, yes. And _things_, plural." Angela squealed and clapped her hands. "Nothing like that, Ange." Angela frowned and crossed her arms. Brennan sighed. "The other night I stayed at Booth's and…and I…and I got scared," she finished in a whisper.

"You what?" Angela asked, not having heard her.

"I got scared. Of the thunderstorm." Angela nodded, remembering the storm. Luckily Hodgins was there to comfort her. "Which I know is totally irrational. But lightning cracked a branch outside and before I knew it I was running into Booth's room and getting into bed with him. I obviously wasn't thinking."

"Oh, Bren." Angela knew how confusing this could be for her friend. "What happened?"

"I told him I was scared and he hugged me and we fell asleep. And then Parker was about to come in the room but I told Booth that Parker shouldn't see us like that so I hid in the bathroom and he said we'd talk later, but I guess going to the party made us forget."

Angela held up her hand. "Sweetie, you're rambling. Are you worried Booth thinks that what you did was sexual?"

"I'm sure he knows it wasn't, but it felt that way."

"…To you?" Angela asked hesitantly.

Brennan nodded. "To both of us."

"So…then what's the problem?"

"Angela, you know we can't-"

Angela held her hand up again. "Don't give me that."

"Oh God, he's got his bugs out," Booth mumbled to himself as he approached the platform. "Hodgins!" he called, temporarily distracting the entomologist from his newly-hatched white flies.

"Hey, Booth!" Hodgins called back. "What's up?"

"Yeah, um, I gotta talk to you. About Bones."

"Oh, well, don't you think you should be talking to Angela about that?"

"Yeah…no…."Booth said, shaking his head.

Seeing Booth wasn't going to explain any further, Hodgins offered his help. "What can I do for you?"

"I think I freaked Bones out a little." Hodgins sat on his stool, back curved slightly, hands in his lap, waiting for Booth to continue with bright eyes and a slightly smiling face. "She…slept in my bed."

"With you?" Hodgins questioned too loudly for Booth.

"Yes," he hissed, "with me. It wasn't…you know," he said, rubbing his palms together.

Hodgins' eyebrows went up. "Oh, yeah, I got you."

"She came in because she was scared of that storm the other night, and at first I thought it was Parker. But when I saw it was Bones…well I just hugged her and then she, um…." Hodgins didn't realize he was leaning forward in anticipation. "She put her head on my chest and we fell asleep," Booth finished hurriedly, unable to ward off the blush that flushed his face.

"What happened when you woke up?"

"It felt…sexual…for a moment. Then Parker knocked on the door so she hid in the bathroom and I told her we'd talk."

"Dude, you're rambling." Booth paused and raised his head to look at Hodgins, one hand frozen on the back of his neck, his posture slightly slouched and his eyes narrow. "You didn't talk," Hodgins surmised.

Booth shook his head. "Not yet. I don't know what to say. When she needs to be comforted I just hug her." Booth smiled. "I told her they were guy hugs."

"Guy hugs?" Hodgins questioned.

"Yeah. Like, when guys get scared and they hug each other. I told her if I ever got scared I'd hug her."

"Nice," Hodgins said, half in amusement at Booth's lie, half in awe at the comfort level the two had attained. It was up to him again to keep the conversation going. "But you don't want to hug her because it might seem…sexual?"

"Yeah," Booth replied, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Booth, come on," Hodgins said. Booth looked at him menacingly, but to Booth's surprise Hodgins didn't back down. "You think hugging-HUGGING-is gonna seem too SEXUAL?" he asked in disbelief. "You guys are practically having sex in front of everyone every time you interact."

Booth got a nervous look on his face as he took a few giant steps towards Hodgins, who now had to crane his neck to see Booth's face. "You know what, Hodgins? Don't say that, OK? I don't need rumors going around about me and Bones…." He paused to think how to phrase the next part appropriately. "_Doing_ it."

Hodgins chuckled. "Whatever you say, G-man. Whatever you say."

"You both seemed fine at the party the other night," Angela observed while sitting on Brennan's couch, watching Brennan shoot like a torpedo around the room.

"We were."

"But…."

"Why would you make Booth my partner for that game?" Brennan asked loudly and angrily.

Angela was confused. "Because you're always partners?" she ventured.

"Exactly! It encourages competition, which neither of us can resist! Everyone just assumes we _want_ to be together!"

Angela snorted. "Because you do want to be together."

"Yes, but, not everyone knows that."

"Yes they do, sweetie. It's only you and Booth that have recently realized this."

Brennan's eyes narrowed at her best friend. "He made me…shiver," she said.

"He what?" Angela said, having become lost in her own thoughts thinking the conversation was over.

"He made me shiver," Brennan repeated.

"How so?" Angela was suddenly very interested again.

"After I won and everyone was standing by the couch, Booth grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to him and said, 'Good game, Bones' right in my ear," she said, keeping her eyes on the floor the whole time. Angela didn't say anything, shivering a little herself at the prospect of one hunky FBI agent murmuring something only she could hear. "I barely caught his eyes before he walked away. But he seemed…confident. Like he knew what he was doing."

"That's called flirting, sweetie, and Booth is _very_ good at it." Brennan's eyebrows rose slightly. "He _wants_ you to feel that way."

Brennan nodded her head in understanding. "I want him to feel that way," she said.

"Trust me, he does."

"But wait, did anything happen at the party?" Hodgins questioned.

"Yeah, sort of." Hodgins just raised his eyebrows slightly. Booth exhaled through his nose and began to recall the events that took place that night. "Well, after everyone had finished congratulating Bones and all and you were all talking by the couch, I grabbed Bones' wrist and leaned down and said, 'Good game, Bones.' I felt her shiver."

"Shiver like she liked it?"

"I thought so. When I met her eyes she seemed shocked, and I knew I seemed confident, and I walked away. I was hoping she would stop me and spin me back around, but she didn't. I wanted to talk to her after that, but I didn't want to seem…."

"Desperate?"

"I guess."

"I know how you feel, man," Hodgins said.

"It's just…Angela _loves_ you, man. She lives in the moment and she loves you, and she's not afraid. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about Bones and I wouldn't change her at all, but I've always known she was scared to love. I don't blame her, and I told her, I _promised_ her that she'd believe in love someday. But Hodgins I don't know. Even if she loves me, which I doubt she does, I don't think she'll ever believe it. I don't know, maybe I should just stop trying."

Brennan hadn't heard everything Booth had said, only that Booth didn't believe she could ever love him. He was giving up on her. Standing at the bottom of the steps to the platform, her eyes widened in horror at the realization that no one was ever going to love her again, and that she'd ruined another relationship-the one that was most important to her. "But you promised," she whispered before taking off at a run for the parking lot.

Booth whipped around at the sound of her voice, but she was already running. "Bones!" he called. Glancing back at Hodgins with panic in his eyes, he ran down the steps of the platform and towards the doors. "Bones, wait!"


	14. To Hell

**14-To Hell**

A frantic Booth made it out to the parking lot just as Brennan backed out of her parking space. Like a deer in headlights, he stopped in front of the car. Brennan's horn blared, but Booth didn't move. There were very few times in his life when he hadn't known what to do, and this was turning into one of those moments. Booth leaned forward and put both hands on the hood of the car, and Brennan rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Move!" she yelled angrily.

"No! We need to talk!" he said back.

"Don't worry about it, I heard enough!" she yelled while stepping lightly on the gas. Booth put one foot behind the other, letting his toe drag lightly across the asphalt. Other than that, he didn't move.

"No you didn't!"

"I hate it when you lie to me!" she yelled.

"I'm not lying!" he said, his expression starting to reveal his desperation.

"I'll run you over, Booth! And I'm not lying either!" She stepped on the gas and the car moved forward, leaving Booth no other to choice but to jump out of the way. He watched in silence as his partner sped out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

Angela approached the steps of the platform to find Hodgins sitting on his stool, hands resting lightly on his thighs, looking totally wrapped up in something on the opposite wall. "Hodgie?" Angela asked, swiping her card and bouncing up the steps.

"Yeah?" he replied, still staring off into space.

"What's wrong?"

He paused a moment. "For once in my life….For once in my life I actually know what's going on between Booth and Dr. B.," he answered, slightly in awe of the occurrence.

"I'm happy for you," Angela said a bit dryly as she patted Hodgins on the shoulder. "Speaking of those two, where are they?"

Hodgins looked up at Angela. "I don't exactly know," he confessed.

"I thought you said you knew what was going on."

"Well…I do. But, uh, they kind of…ran off, and now I guess I _don't_ know."

"_Ran off? Ran off how?"_ Angela shrieked.

"Um…."

"Hodgins!" they heard, causing them both to turn their heads quickly.

"Booth!" Hodgins shouted back, grateful for the distraction and a partial answer to Angela's question. Booth bounded up the steps two at a time and came to stand in front of Hodgins.

"Hodgins, I need help."

"Seriously?" Angela asked in disbelief, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh hey Ange," Booth said. "Anyway, I really need you to-"

"EARTH TO SEELEY BOOTH!" Angela shouted. He looked at her with an annoyed expression that said "what?" "I believe _I_ am the relationship expert, and should therefore be the one to help you. No offense, Hodgie."

"Yeah, Angela, sorry but if I asked you I'd have to tell the _whole_ story again, and Hodgins was there. Just easier to ask him. Plus, it's kind of a guy thing," Booth explained. Hodgins nodded his agreement.

"Fine," Angela pouted as she stormed off.

"Hi, Ange," answered a sniffling Brennan.

"Sweetie, where are you? Why do you sound like you're crying?"

"Because I _am_ crying."

"Why? Is this about Booth?"

"Oh so he told you too?"

"Told me what?"

"That he doesn't think I'm capable of loving him."

Angela let out a long sigh. "Oh, sweetie, do you want me to come over?"

"Yeah."

Angela hung up the phone and was on her way out as soon as she heard her friend's answer.

"Dude, what happened?" Hodgins asked Booth, who was a bit shaken up.

"I tried, man. I stood in front of her car and begged her. I told her she didn't know the whole story."

"She didn't believe you," Hodgins said somewhat gravely. Booth just shook his head. "I'm sorry, man. You should just give her time to cool off. She'll forgive you. She loves you."

Booth sighed. "I guess. It's just…I have to show her that I'll keep trying. I would follow her to hell and back and anywhere else she decided to go, telling her how much I love her. Even if she never said she loved me back, I still wouldn't regret anything. Just being with her would make it all worthwhile." Hodgins paused for a few seconds before breaking into a fit of carefully controlled giggles. Booth frowned. "What is it, Hodgins?" Booth asked menacingly.

Hodgins managed to temporarily stifle his laughter before answering. "That's it, man."

"What's it?" Booth spat.

"How is it that you can tell a coroner, an artist, an entomologist, and anyone else that will listen all this heartfelt, mushy stuff, but you can't say it to the one person who needs to her it? Tell her. Tell her all the things you've said to me in the past hour." Booth paced back and forth, unsure.

Angela overheard the exchange as she was on her way out, and had discreetly pulled out her phone. Hitting the record button, she managed to record Hodgins' and Booth's conversation. She quickly uploaded it to the computer and made the audio clearer, then went to Brennan's.

"Hey, Ange. Come in," Brennan invited, opening the door wide.

"How are you feeling?" Angela asked, already knowing the answer. As expected, Brennan just glared before blowing her nose on the tissue in her hand.

"I just can't believe he'd even think something like that. He's the one who convinced me, and talked to me about love, and marriage, and religion, and now he's giving up. Bastard," she said as she plopped onto the couch.

Angela sat down next to her and looked at her friend sympathetically for a moment before pulling out her laptop. "There's something you need to hear." Angela hit play and sat back.

"_I told her she didn't know the whole story,"_ came Booth's voice.

"_She didn't believe you,"_ Hodgins answered sadly. _"I'm sorry, man. You should just give her time to cool off. She'll forgive you. She loves you."_

"Angela, what is this?" Brennan demanded.

"Shh!" Angela scolded.

"No! You're supposed to be helping me, and I was already present when what Booth has described took place."

"I _am_ helping you. Now shush so I can rewind and you can listen to the rest."

Next they heard Booth sigh and continue speaking. _"I guess. It's just…I have to show her that I'll keep trying. I would follow her to hell and back and anywhere else she decided to go, telling her how much I love her. Even if she never said she loved me back, I still wouldn't regret anything. Just being with her would make it all worthwhile."_

The recording stopped there, and Brennan took a moment to collect her thoughts before risking a sideways glance at Angela. "Does Booth know about this?" she asked.

"That I recorded it? No, sweetie. Hodgins told him to come talk to you. I suggest you listen. And don't mention that I was here," she added as she got up to leave.

"Ange? Why are you leaving?"

"I suspect Booth will be here soon," she said with a smirk. In the next moment she was out the door.


	15. And Back

**15-And Back**

Brennan was slumped against the back of the couch, totally lost in her own thoughts, when a knock interrupted her. She had been trying to plan what she was going to say depending on how the situation went, but now she was just going to have to play it by ear. Literally.

Glancing through the peephole she saw it was Booth. _Who else would it be, Brennan?_ she asked herself. She knew she couldn't avoid the conversation any longer. She opened the door to a very patient-looking Booth standing there, hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Can we talk?" he asked at a near whisper. She simply nodded and let him in. They stood awkwardly for a few moments before Brennan sat back down on the couch. Booth followed suit, making sure to leave enough distance between them for her to feel comfortable. Brennan fidgeted with her hands for a minute before looking at Booth, signaling with her eyes for him to start the conversation. "I, um…I know you're mad, but…you need to hear this. Whatever your reaction is is fine with me, but I just need you to hear this. _Really_ hear it, Bones." At his use of her nickname she looked back up at him. "No interrupting. Just…listening." She gave a slight nod and he knew it was now or never.

"I know I said we'd talk, and that we never got the chance. And that night you came in my room…I felt something. Bones, for four years I've felt something every time I've looked at you. But this…you and me in bed…it was something else. And then at the party…I wanted so badly to talk to you after the game but…but I didn't think you were interested, so I just walked away and never looked back. I shouldn't have.

"I went to Hodgins for help on what to do. I knew you got freaked out after the bed thing, and then the party, so I didn't know how to make it less…you know…." Brennan looked at him, confused. "Sexual," he whispered, even though there was no need to. "I wanted to make you feel better the best way I could, and I wasn't sure how to approach it. I just mentioned how Angela lives in the moment and she loves Hodgins, and I knew you weren't the same way." Brennan's eyes were downcast and she looked disappointed in herself. "But I wouldn't have you any other way, Bones. I told him I loved you for who you are, but I felt bad because I've always tried so hard but I never thought you loved me. I'm not even sure if you love me now. But you must've only heard the tail end of the conversation. I'd do anything for you, Bones. I'd travel anywhere just to be with you, and even if I spent my whole life trying to convince you that I loved you and you never reciprocated, that'd be OK."

Brennan felt melancholy. She knew he was telling the truth, one because he never lied to her, and two because Angela let her listen to some of his conversation with Hodgins. She was confused. She'd let her emotions dictate her actions instead of her brain. "If you were really trying," she whispered suddenly, "why didn't you just ask me out?"

Booth chuckled a bit. "I was trying to _hide_ my emotions from you."

"Well then how would I ever know you loved me?"

Booth sighed. "Because I'm telling you right now. I. Love. You." He looked at her with such hope and boyish excitement that she hated herself for what she was about to say.

"I'm sorry, Booth, but the last time I let my emotions dictate my actions we had huge fights."

"Yeah and look where it got us," he said, smiling and reaching out to grab her wrist.

"Exactly," she agreed, getting up before being gently pulled back down.

"No, Bones," he said softly. "It got us to admit something to each other that we've been holding back for a long time."

"I never said I loved you."

Booth smiled softly. "It's OK, Bones. You don't have to."

"I want to," she whispered.

"You do?" She nodded with a small smile. "You just said you didn't love me," he said, confused.

"No, I said I never said I loved you," she corrected.

Booth blinked and shook his head. "Wait. So…you just said that…so you could argue for the sake of arguing? And you thought you could confuse me with all that mumbo jumbo?" His grin was growing wider by the second as her blush was growing deeper.

"Booth, it's not mumbo jumbo, it's scientific-." She was cut off by his lips meeting hers. They remained seated on the couch, bodies facing each other, palms flat on the cushions. Slowly, Booth moved his hand up to rest in her hair, and one of her hands held the back of his neck. He bit her bottom lip, and when she moaned he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She tasted as only one's true love can taste, and her tongue pushed against his, causing them both to kiss harder.

Before things got too out of hand Booth pulled away just far enough to look into her eyes, which were excited and laughing, just as he imagined his own were. She beckoned with her finger for him to move closer, and she leaned slightly so that her mouth was next to his ear. "I love you," she breathed, sending a shiver through his ear canal, down his spine, and back up it again until the message reached his brain. _Move!_ it said, and he pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing his eyes shut as she rested her chin on his shoulder.


	16. OneTwo Punch

**16-One-Two Punch**

"Now what?" Brennan asked as they broke apart and looked at each other.

Booth just smiled and ran his hands down her back. Now that he could touch her he couldn't get enough. "Would you like to come to my apartment for dinner?" he asked.

"I would like that very much," she answered, both of them laughing. Booth leaned in and they kissed again.

After ordering dinner and heading back to Booth's apartment, the two partners were nestled closely on the couch eating their take-out. They were watching a movie when Brennan sighed and laid a hand on Booth's chest. He kissed her forehead and she looked up, soon finding herself hungrily kissing him. Both of Brennan's hands went to his hair and he growled just as there was a knock on the door. "You should get it," Brennan whispered.

"But if I do, I can't do this," he said, kissing her neck down to her shoulder.

Another knock rang through the apartment, accompanied by a voice. "Seeley!" it called.

"Shit," Booth mumbled, getting up from the couch. Brennan was about to ask who it was, but she had a clear view when Booth opened the door.

"Seeley," he greeted.

"Jared," Booth answered back.

Jared glanced behind Booth to see Brennan sitting on the couch. Looking between the two, he quickly figured out the situation. Someone had obviously run her hands through Booth's hair, and Brennan's face was red and her lips were glistening. "Oh, I see what's going on here," Jared remarked.

"What do you want, Jared?" Booth asked through clenched teeth.

"I wanna know when this happened," Jared answered, gesturing with a finger between Brennan and Booth. Booth grabbed his brother's finger and bent it before releasing it. "Ow!" Jared yelped.

"That obviously isn't why you came over. Now what is it?"

"No way, man," Jared answered, laughing. "Seriously, she really got with you?" Booth wanted to grab his brother by the jacket and rough him up, but instead he clenched his fist and stood silently. "What makes you think you deserve her?"

At this Brennan got up and went to stand beside Booth. "Jared, you sh-."

"It's alright, Bones," Booth said, turning to her and running his hand up and down her arm. "I can handle this," he said stiffly, turning back to Jared.

"You really wanna be with a loser like Seeley here?" Jared asked Brennan, eyes dancing with laughter.

"Don't you dare," Brennan spat.

"Bones, would you mind going in the other room?" Booth asked. _Of course she would mind, you idiot_, he thought.

"But Booth I-."

He leaned down to speak directly into her ear. "I don't want him talking to you like that," he said, his voice low. She glanced at him one more time before walking to the bathroom, planning on listening to the conversation anyway.

Jared snorted, bringing Booth's attention back to him, as Booth had been watching his partner walk down the hall, completely forgetting Jared was even there. "You've really gone beyond my expectations, Seeley. She is a woman and a half, and you're not even a proper gentleman. You didn't even invite me in!"

"Proper gentlemen don't associate with people like you, Jared."

"Hey man, same blood. You must be somewhat like me."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Oh yeah? What about the gambling? What about all the sex? What about all the people you killed?"

"That was in the line of duty and you know it!" Booth roared.

"Don't blame me for your guilty conscience, Seeley." Booth drew back his fist and punched Jared square in the jaw.

"Booth!" Brennan shrieked. She had come out when she heard Booth yell and was standing at the back of the room.

"I blame myself for not teaching you better," Booth growled. Brennan hurried over with a bag of ice and squatted down next to Jared, who was on the ground. She placed the ice gingerly on his jaw and looked up at Booth, who had tears streaming down his face.

"Booth, maybe you should apologize," Brennan suggested softly.

"No," Booth said, his voice wavering as he took one last look at his brother lying on the ground before walking off towards the bedroom.

Booth heard mumbled conversation coming from the hallway as he sat on the edge of the bed, head down, tears falling. Minutes later he heard Brennan go to the bathroom and turn the sink on. He looked up when she came in the room and knelt down in front of him, placing a cool cloth on his face. His cheeks were sticky and she knew he probably had a headache. All the years crying over her parents and Russ had made her an expert. "Don't do this, Bones," Booth said, grabbing her wrist and gently forcing her hand away from his face.

"Don't do what?" she asked.

"Jared was right. I don't deserve you."

"Why do you say that?" she asked softly, her hands resting on his knees.

"I…killed…so many people," he croaked, finishing in a whisper. "I know it was for my country, but that doesn't take away the pain, the part of your soul that's torn when you kill someone. And yeah, I had sex before I joined the Army, but afterwards…I was reckless, to a certain degree. Ending all those lives made me think, 'You know, life is short.' So I decided to live a little more freely. I shouldn't have. It was barely love-making with any of them. Just…stupid sex. And Jared…well, he didn't learn shit from me." He sighed and waited a few seconds before continuing. "I don't know what you even see in me, Bones," he laughed bitterly. "I'm not smart, I don't have a lot of money….The only things I'm good at are shooting pucks and shooting bullets."

Brennan's heart broke with every word Booth said and with how much pain he said them with. She was silent for a few seconds before gently taking his hand, waiting for him to look up at her. When he did, she began. "Booth, you're so much more than that. You're exceptional at your job, you're a wonderful father, you're caring, and you _are_ smart. You read people very well. And you're a great kisser," she added playfully, causing Booth to laugh with amusement and gratitude. "Money and those other things are fleeting and material. They don't define you as a person. And screw Jared," she added. Booth's eyes widened. "You were a great role model, he just chose not to look up to you."

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. She looked confused. "Basically proving how much I don't deserve you."

"Booth, I love you," she said as though her statement explained everything. She breathed out through her nose and continued, lightly running a hand through his hair. "And that means I love you for what you are, not hate you for what you're not."

Booth smiled and rubbed Brennan's back. She was right. She always was. He couldn't believe how much he felt for her and how lucky he was to have her. He was sniveling like a child and here she was coddling him, and she was OK with that. "Thanks, Bones."

"Come on," she said. "You wanna take a nap?" He nodded and they crawled back on the bed together. Brennan rested her head on his chest and let his steady heartbeat start to lull her to sleep.

"Bones?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she said sleepily.

"I love you too. So much." She smiled and started rubbing her hand on his stomach, and soon they both fell asleep.


	17. Snow On The Mind And Other Places Too

**Thanks to everyone who's reading! Reviews make me happy =D**

**17-Snow On The Mind (And Other Places Too)**

Brennan woke up a few hours later and stretched her arms and legs. Yawning, she looked over to see Booth stirring. "Hey," he said, reaching up to touch her arm.

"Mmm," she answered, lying back down on his chest. Booth was staring at the ceiling and running his hand along her hair. Brennan suddenly shifted so one knee was on either side of his stomach and her hands were planted firmly on either side of his head.

Of course, any time she touched him it felt amazing, but the weight of her on top of him was something Booth had only dreamed about. However he could see that she had something else on her mind. Silently studying her for a minute, he knew what she was thinking. "I'm OK, Bones." She smiled. "Thank you," he whispered. She said nothing, just leaned down and kissed his forehead.

The thing was that she didn't feel like she had to say anything. Any other man would have thought that she wanted sex by straddling him, but Booth read her perfectly. Part of it was his ability, another part of it was that he took the time to read her. The last part was that he knew her well enough to read her. When she first met him she regarded it as a kind of phenomenon, something truly breathtaking to witness. But over the years she had gotten used to it, though that didn't mean that she still didn't think it was amazing.

Booth sat up and supported himself on his elbows, coming within inches of her face. "Whatcha thinkin' about?" he said, smiling his "happy curious" smile.

She looked down at him and smiled. "You," she answered. He sat up further and took her lips with his. Eventually they broke apart, both still a little bleary-eyed from sleep. "You want some coffee?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. She got up off him and made her way to the kitchen. After a few minutes of hearing nothing, Booth got up and found Brennan staring out the window. He smiled and took a moment to take in the scene in front of him. She was standing with her arms crossed loosely over her midsection, her hair long and straight and glinting. And outside the black of night was dotted with white. Snowflakes. He was careful not to make any noise as he walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It's snowing," she remarked softly, with the wonderment of a child. Booth chuckled lightly in her ear, and she turned her head slightly to kiss him. "Come on," she said. "I want to take you somewhere." He let his arms slide from around her waist as she turned to grab her coat and the car keys.

"Woah, woah, woah," he said. "How about you tell me where you wanna go and _I_ take _you_?"

"No, I can't tell you where we're going."

"Why not?"

"It's a surprise," she said coyly, opening the door of the apartment and heading out into the hallway. "Come on, Booth!" she called. Shaking his head, he grabbed his coat and followed.

"I can't believe I'm letting you drive," he mumbled.

"Oh don't be such a baby," she said, grinning.

"I'm not being a baby," he argued.

"Well it doesn't matter, we're here now."

"THE LAB? Bones, come on. You're not working. No."

"You're right, I'm not. And neither are they," she added as she noticed Booth's eyes widen when Hodgins, Angela, Cam, and Wendell all got out of their cars.

"Well then what's everyone doing?"

"You'll see," she said simply as they exited the SUV.

"Sweetie, you're here!" Angela called.

"Of course I'm here, Ange."

"Does Booth know?" she asked. Brennan shook her head and Angela squealed with excitement.

"Will somebody _please_ tell me what is going on?" Booth shouted into the night air.

"Relax, man, nothing serious," Hodgins reassured.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't know what's going on either," Wendell said as he came to stand next to the other two men.

"Cam?" Booth questioned, hoping for answers.

"Don't look at me, I don't know either," she said.

"OK everyone, calm down. It'll all be explained," Angela reassured. "This," she said, "is the Annual Medico-Legal Lab First Snowfall Snowball Fight." Booth looked at Wendell and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you've all had snowball fights before," Angela said, her look turning incredulous. "Even Bren has had them."

"Of course I have, Angela," Brennan defended.

"It's OK, sweetie, just trying to make a point. Now, Wendell, Booth, and Hodgins will be against me, Bren, and Cam. If you get hit with a snowball you're out, and you have to sit there," Angela said, pointing to the large fountain outside the lab. "Everyone got it?" They nodded.

"Wait," Booth said. "You said this was annual. Why hasn't Cam ever done it? And frankly I'm a little offended that I've never been invited."

"Don't worry, Booth, we haven't had one since before you and I started working together. But we decided to bring it back this year," Brennan added, looking over at Angela.

"OK, so now that that's all cleared up, let's play," Angela demanded happily.

Hodgins and Booth hid behind opposite shrubs in front of the building, while Wendell roamed trying to hit one of the girls. Angela and Cam were hiding behind the building as Brennan prowled, looking for one person in particular.

She found Wendell on the pathway and didn't hesitate, pelting him with an icy snowball. "Sorry, Mr. Bray," she said, cocking her head and smiling.

"It's cool, Dr. Brennan," he replied, smiling his adorable boy smile.

Meanwhile, Hodgins and Booth listened intently from the bushes. "Did you hear that?" Hodgins asked.

"Yeah," Booth replied. _Bones_.

"Sounds like…Dr. B and Angela," Hodgins remarked.

"Let's go," Booth commanded, and they surreptitiously slipped out into the open.

"Hah!" Cam yelled, and Hodgins yelped before being hit with a snowball. Luckily, Booth took the opportunity the distraction afforded him and launched a snowball at Cam, hitting her square in the arm.

"Sorry, Camille," he said with a cocky grin. He went off to find Angela and Brennan, following the sound of the snow crunching.

"Bren," Angela whispered, "do you hear that?" Brennan nodded. "OK, I'll take 'em out, you cover me."

"Angela, I don't-." But Angela was already off. "I don't know what that means." Brennan whispered aloud to herself.

Booth knew she was coming and stood there, snowball in hand, waiting for her. He came out from behind a tree just as she passed him. "Hello, Angela," he said, putting a finger to her lips. "Shh, I don't want Bones to hear us." Angela nodded and Booth removed his finger. He didn't think it was necessary to actually _throw_ the snowball at her since she was standing right next to him, so he just touched her with it. Then without another sound he dropped it and went around back in search of his partner.

He found her sitting with her back against the wall, looking up at the sky. He packed a snowball and deliberately made a lot of noise so she would look his way.

"You wouldn't dare," she said in a low voice that made him shiver.

"Oh, I would," he replied, his voice equally as sexy. He walked over to her slowly and she started to make a break for it. "Don't!" he warned. "Move." She froze and let him approach her. He stopped mere inches from her and held the snowball out, palm up.

"You're going to throw that at me," she observed.

"No," he said, never breaking eye contact.

"You're not?" she asked, growing confused. He shook his head. Suddenly an idea struck her, and she fought hard not to let it show. She plopped onto the ground and sat there, letting him lean down to better see her while still towering over her. She slid her gloved hands back and rested her weight on them. Groping around very slowly, she found some particularly soft snow and made a loose fist around it. "Why aren't you going to throw that at me?" she asked innocently.

Booth knew something was up but he decided to play along. "Because this," he said, looking at the snowball, "is-pllt," he finished, sticking his tongue out and spitting out the snow that had invaded his mouth. "Oh no you didn't," he said, opening his eyes to a hysterically laughing Brennan. He loved her laugh; it always made his heart soar, and he inevitably laughed as well. He attempted to pull her up, but he was so weak from laughing that he ended up falling down right beside her. Her eyes were closed, and he took the opportunity to put his snowball right on the back of her neck. She gasped and put one down his shirt. He countered by sticking one in her hood and then putting the hood on her head, sending the cold snow all down her face. She quickly made another one and pulled on the waistband of his jeans. "You wouldn't," he said.

"Oh I would."

"Bones, n-." But he was cut off by ice and snow traveling down the front of his pants. "Ah!" he yelled as he jumped in the air and tried to shake the snow down his legs and out of his jeans. "Oh you have no idea what you just got yourself into."

"Mm," she mused, "I'm fairly certain I can handle it."

Booth knew that both her stomach and the small of her back were very ticklish since he had run his fingertips across them, which caused her to gasp and arch her back, so he packed a large snowball, lifted up her shirt, and smeared snow all the way around her midsection.

She gasped and tugged her shirt down forcefully. "Booth!" she yelled. He came at her again, although this time armed with nothing, and in her attempt to get away she stumbled and fell backwards into the snow. She was laughing, but it died down to a chuckle when he continued to just look at her, coming to rest on his knees in front of her. "What?" she asked. He gently pushed her back so she was lying down and lifted up her shirt again. "Booth, seriously, st-ooh," she groaned when she felt his tongue on her bare skin. The snow had melted, and he was lapping it up sensually. She pulled off her gloves so she could run her hands through his hair as his tongue flicked over her bellybutton. "Maybe I should do the same for you," she suggested as she remembered where she last put snow on him. He stopped and his expression grew serious. He knew what he wanted and he would not be denied.

"What's taking them so long?" Angela asked as her feet traced lines in the snow.

"Who knows?" Hodgins said, making a heart in the snow and writing "Angela," which earned him a kiss on the cheek.

"What do you think they're doing?" Wendell asked, looking up at the sky.

"No idea," Cam replied, looking up as well.


	18. The Very First Time

**18-The Very First Time**

"Booth," Brennan whispered as he inched her shirt up higher. "Booth, let's go home." Booth reluctantly raised his head and dropped the shirt. He got up, brushed himself off, and put out his hand, which she took. After she had been pulled up they regained their composure and walked back to the others, who were still sitting by the fountain.

They both seemed to have snow on them, so no one could really guess who won. Silently, Booth sat down next to Wendell. The girls jumped up and cheered and started asking all kinds of questions. "Where'd you hit him?"

"How did you do it?"

"Was he mad? I bet he was mad."

"That's all a story for another day," Booth interrupted, standing slowly. "Bones, I'll take you home?" She nodded, knowing they were both just eager to get out of there. The pair led the way as the crowd dispersed, leaving the Medico-Legal Lab in a mysterious type of glow as every vehicle pulled away.

Despite the snow they made good time back to Booth's apartment. There was no across-the-console groping or sly glances, just Booth's right hand holding Brennan's left, preparing themselves.

There also wasn't any jumping each other in the elevator or restless movement. Again, just Booth's hand holding Brennan's as he unlocked the door of his apartment and led her inside, all the way down the hall to the bedroom.

Booth let Brennan go in first and turned to face her after closing the door. Her back was to the bed, and the moon glinting off the snow cast her in a light that took Booth's breath away. They stood facing each other, a mere foot apart, the only sound their slightly erratic breathing.

Swallowing, Booth finally decided to speak. "Bones, you're trembling," he whispered.

"I know," she said, trying to keep the nervousness at bay.

"I'm nervous," he admitted in an exhale.

"Me too," she confessed.

There were no "Are you ready?"s or "We don't have to do this if you don't want to"s. It was now or never, and they both knew it. Booth decided to start slow, stepping close to her and kissing her, one hand on either side of her face. Before long their tongues were mashed together and they had no intention of breaking apart any time soon.

Soon they were both standing barefoot on the carpet of Booth's bedroom. Brennan's hands shook slightly as she pushed them under Booth's t-shirt. He raised his arms so she could slip it over his head with ease, and he moved on to her shirt. He rubbed the soft material in between his fingers before slipping it off of her. One of Brennan's hands rested on the back of Booth's neck as the other deftly undid his belt buckle, the button on his jeans, and his zipper. "Wow, Bones," he breathed against her lips before pulling his jeans off, impressed but not surprised at her dexterity. "You have a lot more clothes on than I do," he said as he kissed her neck.

"Whose fault is that?" she asked playfully as she titled her head back. He laughed seductively as he quickly undid her jeans and pushed them down her legs. The skin-on-skin contact hurried things up as soon they were both naked and Booth was pushing Brennan down on the bed.

He wanted to make sure they both remembered everything about what was happening, so he hovered above her for a few seconds before joining them. Below the waist, his body screamed for him to move, but he had to delay just a little longer. "You OK, Bones?" he whispered from above her.

Her eyes locked with his and she smiled. "Perfect," she answered. And that was the truth. He _did_ feel perfect. That was all he needed to hear as he starting moving his hips. At first he took it slow, letting them both find their rhythm. He could feel her hips jerking a little harder against him, but he wasn't ready to speed things up just yet. "Booth, faster," she whispered.

"Not yet," he said back. She looked at him pleadingly and he knew she was almost desperate for him to pick up his pace. "Trust me," he whispered, looking into her eyes. He saw her acceptance in them, but didn't waste much more time in speeding things up.

"Mmm," she groaned as she felt him pressing harder into her. "Oh, God, Booth," she moaned. He knew exactly what her body needed and how to give it to her.

"Bones," he said, sucking in a breath as she arched her back. He could feel her muscles start to spasm and groaned. Closing his eyes, he pushed his toes into the mattress in order to give him more leverage. He knew she was close.

"Booth. Booth, you're there," she said loudly, confirming his theory.

"Bones, I'm-," he said, unable to finish his sentence. He couldn't stop his hips from jerking back and forth with increasing speed as he felt both their ends drawing near. Finally, they both let out a moan and slowly lowered themselves back onto the bed. Booth wanted to put his weight on his forearms, but his entire body seemed to be shaking. He carefully rolled so he was next to her and she moved so she was half on the mattress, half on him.

"Booth, I never-," she tried. "That was-," she tried again.

"Amazing?" he asked.

"Incredible," she breathed in agreement.

They lay there for a number of minutes before Brennan again straddled Booth's waist. He knew that this time, however, she didn't want to talk.


	19. Sounds Like A Plan, Seeley

**19-Sounds Like A Plan, Seeley**

"Bones," she heard. "Bones, wake up." There it was again. That whispering.

"I'm tired," she groaned. She heard laughter and felt lips repeatedly assaulting her neck. She whimpered and rolled over. "Ugh, didn't you hear me?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I know you're tired, but you have to go to work," came the soft voice. Brennan rolled over onto her back once more and cautiously opened her eyes. Booth was lying on top of her with a large grin and no shirt, and upon seeing this, she laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"You're cute," she replied.

"I don't do cute," he said, and dragged his front across hers.

Brennan turned her head to look at the clock and gave Booth's bare chest a light push. "Booth we don't have time," she said seriously.

"Yeah we do," he said. "We can do it really quick."

"Quick_ly_," she corrected, "and you know that won't happen. Now, get up. I have to get a shower." He saw she was serious and moved, allowing her to get up. He sat in bed quietly until he heard the water running and was sure she was in the shower. He got up and quietly entered the bathroom, navigating his way through the building steam.

Stepping inside the shower, he leaned down until his mouth was almost touching her ear. "I came to help you," he said quietly. He could feel her jump in surprise at his words and smirked as she turned around. He held her gaze with extreme confidence as he waited for her to make the decision he knew she would.

She wanted to resist, she really did, but Booth was naked, hot, and water was streaming down his body. Plus, he was getting arrogant, and she loved when he got that way. "You seem to think you know what I'll say," she said coyly.

"I don't really think it's that hard of a choice," he said, stepping closer to her.

"It isn't," she said, turning back to face the spraying water and continuing to wash her hair as if he wasn't there at all. She laughed to herself as she pictured his exact expression.

Booth's jaw dropped and he scrunched his face, determined to have her. Deciding what to do, he determinedly walked around in front of her, picked her up, and put her back against the wall. She gasped at the feeling of the cold tiles on her skin, but Booth held her as they slid down onto the floor of the shower. He could feel the spray pelting his back as he kissed her eagerly, finally making her an offer she couldn't refuse.

"Have a good day, Bones," Booth said as he let her out of the SUV. "I'll come by later, OK?" She nodded. She watched as he sped off and sighed, then headed into the building to work in Limbo.

Moments later, Brennan was enjoying the peace and quiet of the lab early on Monday morning while she focused on a set of remains. However, she found it more difficult to focus than usual. Usually, it wasn't hard to focus at all. Bones were her passion, and she gave them her utmost attention. But lately, something else, or should she say some_one_ else, had become her passion: Booth. Was it true that Booth had surpassed her work in terms of affection? Yes, it was, and he had been her main passion for quite some time now. She loved Booth more than anything or anyone in the world, and the thought brought a smile to her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Angela asked playfully from the doorway.

Brennan jumped a little, which of course didn't go unnoticed by Angela. "Just happy to be working," she replied.

"Uh-huh."

"What are you doing here so early?" Brennan countered.

"Working on my new program." Brennan smiled. Her friend was so full of life and happy. It made her happy. "You want me to bring you a coffee?"

"No thanks, I already had some."

"OK," Angela said in a sing-song voice before heading back to her office.

Hours later, Brennan was hunched over the same set of remains taking notes. Her breath suddenly hitched as she felt a presence in the doorway. _Booth_. "I know you're there," she said without breaking stride in her work. Booth said nothing. He walked around behind her and kissed her neck repeatedly. "Booth, stop," Brennan whispered as she tried to playfully move away from him.

"That's not what you said last night," he said back. Memories of the night before flooded her mind and made her shiver.

"Seriously, what if someone sees us?" she asked. With one more tug of her earlobe Booth ceased. She knew that line would work; Booth was such a prude most of the time. "What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked, smiling. He didn't really need a reason to be there; before they were together he just made them up anyway so he could come to the lab.

"Time for lunch."

"Now?" she asked.

"Bones, it's noon. Don't tell me you've been in here all day?" She gave him a "What do you think?" look and he sighed. "Come on, get your coat."

"Booth?" Brennan asked while they were in the car.

"Yeah?"

"The Jeffersonian is having a New Year's party…originally I wasn't going to go, but…would you like to accompany me?"

"Ringin' in the new year with the dead bodies. Sounds great, Bones."

She rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't be in th-oh. You were joking," she realized.

Booth laughed. "Of course I'll go with you, Bones. You know we have to kiss at midnight."

"But then won't everyone see us?" she asked.

"Hmm, you're right." _Damn_, Booth thought. _Wait! Perfect plan._ "Bones!" he said excitedly.

"No need to shout, Booth, I'm right here."

Booth ignored her statement for the moment. "Bones, listen. I've got it all figured out," he said.

"What?"

"The kissing thing. At midnight."

"Oh. What did you decide?"

"I'll tell you when I've got everything sorted out."

"I thought said you already had everything sorted out."

"No," he said as the exited the SUV, "I said I had a plan. I haven't physically worked it out yet." Brennan nodded but still didn't understand completely as he led her through the doors of the diner.

"Angela!" Booth said excitedly as he skidded into her office.

"Hey, Booth," she said, smiling. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, uh, can I shut the door?" Booth asked, putting on his best sheepish persona.

"Sure, honey, is everything OK?"

"Yeah, Ange, it's just…well, at the Jeffersonian New Year's party I…I kinda wanted to kiss Bones at midnight."

"Oh my God you so have to," Angela said in a rush.

"Yeah, but, she'll never go for it. She'll see it as a pointless tradition or something."

Angela thought. "I've got it," she said. "Everyone from the lab is going, I'll just tell them all they have to kiss someone at midnight. Hodgins and I are going to kiss anyway, and Cam and Wendell can find dates."

"Do you think it'll work, Ange?"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Brennan goes for it."

Booth grinned. "Thanks, Ange, you're the best." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and hustled back to the Hoover. If all went as planned, Booth would be celebrating the new year the best way possible: with his tongue in the mouth of the woman he loved. _OK, wait, that sounded a little shallow_, he thought to himself. _How about "In the arms of the woman he loved?" Yeah, much better_, he assured himself.

"Hey, Ange," Brennan said casually as she strode into Angela's office later that day. Booth had called her earlier to tell her the plan, and she had to admit it was a good one.

"Sweetie, oh my God, I have the _best_ idea for the New Year's party this year," Angela gushed.

"What is it?" Brennan asked.

"OK, so, have you heard of the tradition where on New Year's at midnight everyone kisses someone?"

"Yes, I believe my father mentioned that to me when I was a child." _Booth would be so proud_, she thought as she complimented herself on her improvised lie.

"Well, I want everyone at the lab to kiss someone at the party. Hodgie and I will kiss, and Cam and Wendell can find dates, and of course you and Booth," she finished.

"Woah, Ange, wait. Booth and I kiss? No, we did that once and that was enough."

"Oh, come on, sweetie." Brennan's expression didn't change. "It's the spirit of New Year's. Please?" Still nothing. "For me?" she added as an afterthought. "For your best friend?"

Brennan huffed and sighed. "Fine," she grumbled. "But _you_ have to tell him about it. And we won't talk about it. It'll happen, and then we'll forget about it."

Angela frowned, but knew it was a huge victory. "OK, I'll call Booth."

Brennan turned and smiled to herself. Angela was so wrapped up in getting her and Booth to kiss that she didn't even realize Brennan had come into her office for no reason at all.

Brennan was in bed after a long day examining remains in Limbo, and Booth was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. She was half asleep but the change in light woke her up. "Sorry, Bones," Booth had apologized before stepping into the bathroom.

Brennan stretched and rolled over. "Did Angela call you?"

"Yep. Everything's set."

"I have to admit it was a very good plan."

"Thanks, Bones, I'm glad you approve," Booth said, smirking. They both fell quiet and Booth could hear Brennan writhing around under the covers. She always became restless when she was in bed without him. Truth be told, he got the same way. "Alright, Bones," he said softly as he climbed into the bed. He slid up behind her and put one arm around her waist, the other softly stroking her hair. Brennan's movements ceased as she sighed and was soon asleep.


	20. Pairing Up 1

**20-Pairing Up (1)**

"Wendell!" Angela called as she bounced onto the platform. "Are Bren or Booth here?"

"No," Wendell said, shaking his head. "Why, is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Angela laughed and lightly touched his arm. "No, honey, nothing's wrong. Are you going to the New Year's party?"

"Um, yeah," he said. He wished he could just get back to the remains he was examining; he had no idea where this was going.

"Well, do you have a date?" Angela asked.

"Um, well," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Well..." Angela coaxed.

"Well, I've been seeing this girl, but only for a few weeks." He was blushing now.

"Can you bring her to the party?"

"Sure, I can ask her," Wendell said. "Can I ask why?"

Angela looked around. "OK, but don't tell anyone." She leaned in closer. "Booth wants to kiss Bren at midnight on New Year's, so I'm getting everyone else to kiss someone too," she whispered.

"Huh," Wendell said.

"So you'll do it?" she asked gleefully.

"Sure, Ange," Wendell smiled.

Angela clapped her hands and ran off the platform. "Remember: you have to kiss her at midnight!" she shouted over her shoulder.

"Hey, Ange," Booth panted, running over to her. "You got Wendell in on it?" he asked.

"Yep," she said. "You're not doubting me, are you, Booth?"

"Of course not, Ange," he said, throwing his smile her way.

"Oh don't try to win me over with that smile, Seeley Booth," she warned playfully.

"How could you think me capable of such a thing?" he replied jokingly. Suddenly he stiffened. "Shoot. Bones is here. Go before she sees us," he said in a hurried whisper.

"But how did you-?" she started to ask, but Booth was already hustling away. Booth had known instinctively that Brennan was there even though his back was to the door and there was too much noise for him to possibly have heard her.

Brennan walked into her office and saw Booth reclined in her desk chair with his eyes closed. "May I help you?" she asked laughingly.

"Angela said Wendell's bringing a date. That only leaves Cam," he said triumphantly.

Brennan smiled and sat on Booth's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Will you take me to the diner today?" she asked softly in his ear.

"Mmm, of course," he said as he closed his eyes and rubbed her back with one hand. He didn't have the resolve to make a joke about how she had chosen Angela over him yesterday. It wasn't of any consequence really; he had Bones in his bed every night and got to enjoy every part of her.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Brennan scurried off Booth's lap, grabbed a file, and flung herself onto the couch. "Come in," she called.

"Right, Bones, so as I was saying," Booth said, trying to make it sound like they were having a work-related conversation. "Oh, Cam," he said. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you both will be attending the New Year's party," she said.

"Yep," Booth said.

"Are you?" Brennan asked, winking at Booth.

"Yes," she said.

"Got a hot date?" Booth asked playfully.

Cam's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to decline to answer that," she said before walking out.

Brennan and Booth shared a slightly worried glance. "We should find out if she has a date," Brennan mused.

Booth nodded. Just then Angela walked by the open door of the office. "Angela!" Booth bellowed. She came into the office. "We need to talk."


	21. Pairing Up 2

**oh sheesh yall. sorry for the delay. my sister is getting married and there's a lot to do! but i still love reviews. that hasnt changed. lol.**

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****21-Pairing Up (2)**

"Hi guys, what's up?" Angela greeted cheerfully as she walked into the office, file in hand.

"Um, actually, Bones, I need to talk to Angela alone for a minute," Booth said.

"Booth, surely I can be here for whatever you have to say to Angela," Brennan said stubbornly, momentarily forgetting why she needed to leave the room. Booth shot her a look. "Oh, right. Well, I'm going to discuss something with Mr. Bray."

Angela had a faint feeling there was something more behind the look that Booth gave Brennan, but, like everyone else in the world besides the pair, she couldn't exactly read it.

"So Cam just came in, and she wouldn't tell us whether or not she has a date," Booth said, breaking Angela's silent musings.

Angela blinked rapidly a few times. "Umm…." She knew that Booth wanted her to take up the subject with her boss, but she did _not_ want to do that. Wendell, well…Wendell was easy. He was a young, innocent kid. Cam was a coroner from New York, and Angela was the daughter of a rock star. It wasn't like they didn't get along, it was just that…well, frankly, Angela was, at times, scared of the woman.

"Angela," Booth said sharply, having to garner Angela's attention once again. Her eyes met his. "I need you to find out if Cam has a date. And if she doesn't, you have to get her one."

Angela laughed. "Ha, no."

"Angela!" Booth said, standing up in annoyance. "How-?" He stopped and lowered his voice. "How am I supposed to pull this off if not everyone has someone to kiss?" he hissed.

"Calm down, Booth," Angela said, as if he was acting childish.

"Angela, I have been wanting to kiss Bones again ever since that mistletoe kiss. I want her, Angela," he said. He was channeling all of his previous angst, thus playing the part quite well.

Angela snorted. "Don't I know it."

"Then get Cam a date," he said sternly.

"Again, no, sorry. You're her friend. Why don't _you_ figure out her date?" she suggested. And with that she was out the door.

"Hey, Cam," Booth said, coming to stand next to his friend.

"What's up?" she asked, snapping on a pair of gloves.

"Wanna tell me about your date?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and sticking his tongue out slightly.

Cam laughed at the boyish expression on his face. "Why?"

"Ah, I think the real question is: Why are you hiding this from me?"

"Because my personal life is no longer any of your business, _Seeley_."

"OK, _Camille_, then let me let you in on a little secret," he said, leaning sideways to be closer to her ear.

"What's that?" she asked, still not meeting his eyes.

Booth took a deep breath. He was doing more acting in one day than he'd ever done in his whole life. "I want to kiss Bones at midnight, and Angela is helping me by getting everyone a date to kiss."

"And I'm assuming Dr. Brennan is your date?"

"Well obviously," he said, jaw clenching. Even if they weren't together he wouldn't settle for her having any other date but him.

Cam laughed at the protective expression he wore. "OK, I'll tell you. My date's name is Carl, we've been dating for a few months, he's a nice guy." Booth visibly relaxed. "Don't you worry, Booth. Now go tell Angela."

"Thanks, Cam" he breathed before rushing over to Angela's office, leaving Cam shaking her head and smiling at the lengths the man went to for that woman.

"Angela," he said breathlessly upon arriving at the door of her office. Angela looked up, eyebrows raised. "She's in."

Booth and Brennan arrived at the party together. There were mostly Christmas decorations up, but there was a table with horns, confetti poppers, and any other noisemaker you could think of. "Geez," Booth said, picking up a circle with a stick under it and spinning it, "when I was a kid we just stood outside banging pots and pans."

Just then Angela and Hodgins bounded over to them, adorning each of their heads with a plastic top hat that read HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010. "Come on, you guys," Angela said, tugging Brennan's arm, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is on!"

"Yeah, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," Hodgins snorted, making Booth laugh.

"Seacrest OUT!" they both shouted as they followed the girls to the television.

"The people _look_ happy, but really they must be freezing," Angela was saying as the men joined them on the couch. Brennan nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Hodgins," Booth said suddenly. Hodgins turned to face him. "What's that?" he asked, nodding towards a chair with boxes stacked on it.

"Oh, those are board games. No one's played them though."

Booth was squinting at them from across the room. "Is that Guesstures?" he asked.

"I don't know," Hodgins said, shrugging. Without a word Booth stood up slowly and crossed the room, looking at all the games. He found that they weren't the classics he had grown up playing, but new ones that were fun all the same.

"Can we play this?" Booth asked as he returned to the group.

"I don't see why not," Hodgins said. "Come on, girls," he commanded, breaking up their conversation about Rihanna's wardrobe choice. "We're going to play this." He pointed to a quiet room just beyond the crowd of people.

"So," Booth started, "this is basically charades. Me and Hodgins versus Bones and Angela."

"Charades like acting something out so your team can guess?" Brennan asked.

"Yes, Bones, exactly. Now, Hodgins and I will go first."

"Nuh-uh," Angela protested. "Ladies first," she said, getting up.

"And you call yourself Sir Seeley," Brennan said with fake disgust as Booth was sitting back down.

Booth tried to hold back a laugh. "Hey, you're no Lady Temperance right now," he said.

"I resent that."

"Good." Both were trying to hold back laughter at the confused glance Hodgins and Angela shared.

"Anyway," Angela said, starting the timer. The clue was "scarf." Angela made a tying motion around her neck then shivered.

"Uh…cold," Brennan said. Angela shook her head. "Winter…freezing…." Angela exaggerated her motions. "Oh!" Brennan exclaimed. "Scarf!" Angela smiled and shook her head.

"One point for the ladies," she said.

"Alright, prepare yourselves," Booth said. The clue was "glass eye." There was a glass carving in the room and he picked it up.

"Statue," Hodgins guessed. "Carving…sculpture…." Booth shook his head and ran his hand over it. "Glass!" Hodgins shouted. Booth nodded and pointed to his eye. "Eye! Glass eye!"

"Yes!" Booth shouted as the men high-fived.

"Come on, Bren, you got this," Angela encouraged. The clue was "roof." Brennan jumped up and touched the ceiling, and Booth licked his lips when her shirt rode up to reveal the tiniest portion of skin.

"Easy, buddy," Hodgins said.

Meanwhile, Brennan had made her hands into a point. "Roof?" Angela questioned, then clapped her hands when Brennan nodded.

After forty-five minutes the game was close. If the guys didn't get this point, they would lose. Hodgins was up, and he rolled his eyes when he saw the clue: "cactus." He undulated his hands back and forth. "Woman!" Booth shouted. Angela rolled her eyes. Hodgins ran to a fake plant in the room and pointed. "Leaves," Booth guessed. "Branch, green," he tried. Hodgins rolled his eyes and indicated that Booth should keep guessing. "Plant!" he shouted. Hodgins nodded. There were fifteen seconds left. He flicked his finger back and forth and grabbed it, wincing. "Pain," Booth guessed. "Sharp." Hodgins shook his head. He pointed to the plant then acted hurt again. "Prickles?" Booth guessed. Five seconds. Hodgins motioned for him to keep guessing. "Uh, uh…." Three, two, one.

The girls cheered and Hodgins slouched in defeat. "It was cactus, dude." Booth nodded his head as he pursed his lips.

"Oh my God!" Angela exclaimed suddenly. Everyone turned to face her, their expressions skeptical as to her sanity. "Twister!" The group laid out the mat, and Hodgins volunteered to spin.

After only a few spins the three were practically doing a split as one foot was on red, one on green. One hand was on blue and the other was on yellow. "Nice ass, Ange," Booth snarked, and Angela wiggled it in his face.

"OK, right hand red," Hodgins instructed. Angela slipped while stretching for it and fell. She joined Hodgins on the sideline to watch Booth and Brennan battle it out. "Left hand red." They moved. "Right hand yellow." They moved again. Brennan was now leaning backwards, her back arched up, and Booth was leaning a little bit over her trying to control his body's reaction to this new position. "Right hand green." Brennan reached her hand out to place it on the green dot, but couldn't quite make it. She grabbed Booth's wrist as she fell, tugging him down with her. They landed on top of each other, laughing but then growing quiet. Booth wanted nothing more than to start kissing her right there, but he couldn't. Not in front of Hodgins and especially not in front of Angela.

Hodgins noticed it was 11:55 and started to stand. "Five minutes," he said a little timidly, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Booth and Brennan slowly stood and all four people gathered up the mat.

Making their way out to the crowd, they noticed Wendell and Cam there with their dates. Both Booth and Brennan sighed inwardly with relief. Looking back, Hodgins noticed Angela wasn't with them anymore. He saw her climbing onto a stepstool. "Attention, everyone!" she shouted. "Hello, attention!" Not everyone was paying attention. "HEY!" she yelled. The remaining conversers turned and stared. She was glad she didn't have to flash anyone this time. "Party rule: everyone is to kiss someone at midnight! That's in…" she looked at her watch, "two minutes. So everyone partner up and pucker up!" She stepped down and rejoined the group.

Everyone's attention was on the TV as the countdown started. At thirty seconds, Booth leaned into Brennan. "I liked seeing you be so flexible," he commented in a low voice.

She shivered and turned around chuckling. "Did you?" she asked. "Now I wonder where I could show you just how flexible I really am," she said in mock wonder.

Booth grabbed her hips and pulled her to him roughly. "You know exactly where," he growled.

Everyone was counting down the last ten seconds of the year. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Horns were blowing and poppers were popping.

Booth leaned down to kiss Brennan just as the clock struck midnight. Confetti rained down over them as their lips gently caressed. "Happy New Year, Bones," Booth breathed.

"Happy New Year, Booth," she breathed back.

The rest of the night passed with partying and champagne. Slowly, the crowd thinned and Booth and Brennan departed. "So, I'd say our plan was a success," Booth commented as they drove home.

"I would agree," Brennan said. The pair fell into silence. "You know," she said, "I was thinking we should get those bed sheets that look like a Twister mat."

Booth glanced at her and saw that she knew exactly what she was doing. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he couldn't wait to get home.


	22. In The Navy

**22-In The Navy**

Cam entered Brennan's office looking nervous. She was hoping Booth would be there, and he was, sitting on Brennan's couch reading a file. "There's someone on the phone….For you."

She continued to stand at the doorway while Brennan glanced from Cam to Booth. "Well, who is it?" Brennan demanded impatiently.

Booth took the phone from Cam's limp grasp. "Booth," he said.

"Agent Booth, I have someone here who would like to speak to you," said a deep voice.

Booth sighed, exasperated. He really hoped this wasn't a threat.

"Seeley, it's me," came a new voice.

"What now, Jared? Come back for seconds?" Booth teased.

"Seeley, please, listen," Jared begged. Booth's eyes widened. He knew that tone of voice. It was the voice Jared used when he would beg their dad to stop hitting his brother. Booth winced.

"What's wrong?"

"The other day…when I came by your apartment…."

"Yes?" Booth said, agitated again.

"I was coming for your help."

"With what?"

"I can't-."

The man cut him off. "Don't think I would be that stupid, Agent Booth. I can't have Jared here spilling our little secret over the phone."

"What have you done with him?" Booth asked. The man just chuckled. "_What_ have you _done_ with my little _brother_?" he asked again.

"Be at the Naval Academy at nine AM tomorrow morning and you'll find out." And with that he hung up.

"What did he say?" Brennan asked cautiously.

"He said to be at the Naval Academy at nine AM tomorrow. He has Jared," he added.

"Oh, Booth," Brennan said. She hugged him and he looked up at her. "We'll find him," she reassured.

"No, Bones," he said from deep in his throat.

"What?" she asked.

"I won't put you in danger like that."

She snorted. "Sorry, Booth, but every time you take me to a crime scene you are putting me in danger."

"Bones, it's different when I'm there to protect you-."

"But you _will_ be there," she argued.

"Bones, this is different. I'm not putting you in danger for my brother."

Brennan crossed her arms. "You're being quite selfish," she finally said.

He stood. "Bones, I really need your support on this," he said, holding her by the forearms.

"I'm sorry, Booth," she said, wrenching away, "but how can I support you if I can't be there?"

Booth narrowed his eyes and trudged towards the door. Once there, he stopped and turned, hands stuffed in the pockets of his suit jacket. "Now who's being selfish?" he asked sadly. Brennan couldn't respond before the door slammed shut.

"Hey, sweetie," Angela said, coming through the door a few hours later. "So I didn't see, but I bet your kiss with Studly was delicious," she commented saucily. Brennan sighed, continuing to stare at her laptop. "What's wrong, sweetie? Kiss no good?" Angela couldn't really believe that any of Seeley Booth's kisses were bad.

"The kiss was fine," Brennan finally said.

"Fine? Just fine?" Angela asked, confused. She had opened her mouth to continue but Brennan looked up.

"It was fine, good, whatever."

"Whatever?" Angela asked. Her friend never compared two things and then added "whatever" at the end. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Her voice was watery and her eyes were strained. "I don't know."

Meanwhile, Booth was pacing in his office, waiting for Cullen to come talk to him. A soft knock emanated. "Booth."

"Yes, sir. Sit down, please." Cullen sat. Booth knew a silent invitation when he…well, you couldn't really hear a silent invitation, but he knew when one was being posed. He started talking. "It's my brother, Jared."

"What happened?" Cullen asked, still calm.

"He…he's…." Booth swallowed and Cullen could see that he was struggling. He hadn't stopped pacing and Cullen was beginning to think Booth's hand was glued to the back of his neck.

"Booth," Cullen prompted.

"He's in trouble. I have to help him."

"Booth how many times are you going to bail out your brother?" Cullen asked, standing. He thought Booth should know better.

"With all due respect, sir, my brother has been taken hostage and I've been instructed to go to the Naval Academy tomorrow to find out more information. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need the morning off."

Cullen nodded. "OK then," he said. In another second the office was empty, and Booth sank into his desk chair and thought.

"You don't know? I didn't think those words could combine in Brennan-speak," Angela said.

"Angela, this is not the time for jokes. I don't want to talk about the kiss."

Angela was getting angry. "Brennan, when are you going to stop running from Booth? Take responsibility for your feelings! Why are you so afraid for yourself?"

"I'm not afraid for myself," Brennan answered.

"Then who are you afraid for? Booth?" Angela asked, her voice getting louder. "Because if you love him you shouldn't be afraid for him. All he wants out of life is you! Don't you get it?"

"I get it, Angela. You don't." Brennan was out of her chair and heading towards the door when Angela grabbed her arm.

"Why are you afraid for Booth?"

Brennan snapped. Tears were flowing down her face. "Because Jared is missing!" She left a stunned Angela in her wake as she breezed past her coworkers and through the doors.

Angela emerged moments later, her face pale and her expression obviously shocked. "Ange, what's going on?" Wendell asked. "Is Dr. Brennan OK?" His voice held concern, but she could only look at him blankly. His hand was on her arm but she could feel nothing.

"I, um, I can't…hold on." She ran to her office and sat there for the rest of the day.

Brennan was in the car, but her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't get the key in the ignition. Finally she started the car and headed for home, her vision greatly skewed by the onslaught of tears.

At home she collapsed on the couch, pulled a blanket over her, and went to sleep.

Booth arrived home a few hours later. He looked but saw no sign of Brennan until his eyes landed on the couch. She was curled up, hair obscuring her face, blanket obscuring the rest. He walked over and slowly bent down, softly stroking her hair. "Bones," he called. "Bones, it's me."

"Who else would it be?" she asked, still a little angry.

Booth moved so she could sit facing him. "Bones, please. I went to pick you up but Angela said you took the company car home." He looked at her stained cheeks and puffy eyes. "Why are you crying?" he asked, running his hands along her face.

"I'm scared for you, Booth," she said, gripping his forearms painfully.

Booth didn't need to ask why-he wasn't an idiot. "Bones, I'm going to the _Naval Academy_, OK? It's safe there," he said, trying to reassure her. Personally he didn't know why a criminal would want to meet at a government institution, but that's what he had said.

"No," she said back. "We're always there to protect each other. Why is this different?" She was trying desperately to understand Booth's logic.

"Because this is Jared!" he said, standing up. "And as much as I love him I will not put you in harm's way for him!"

"You put me in harm's way for total strangers," she argued.

"Yeah, but they could be good people, you know? Jared isn't the best person and we both know that. It's my job to talk to those strangers, and to find out what happened for them. It isn't my job to keep covering Jared's ass."

One thing Brennan knew about was being a sibling, and she definitely knew what it was like to have an older brother. "Maybe it's your job as an older brother."

Booth snorted. "Jared never did his part as a brother, why should I do mine?"

Brennan came closer to him. "Booth, how could you talk like that?"

"Because at least I know what I'm talking about," he said angrily. "And don't act like I'm the only person who's acted this way. Russ certainly didn't do his job by leaving you."

"Don't talk about Russ that way!" she yelled, pointing a finger at him. "He's not some lowlife like Jared!"

"He's a criminal!" Booth shouted.

"Yeah well Jared's an asshole. And right now you are too." She stormed off to the bedroom as Booth slumped onto the couch.

He was mindlessly watching TV when he felt someone slide up next to him. "I'm sorry I called you an asshole," she said.

He looked down. "I'm sorry about everything, I really am, Bones. I'm just…I'm really scared." She grabbed his hand. "I can't fail."

"You won't," she said, and when he looked into her eyes she shook her head.

"Thanks, Bones," he said, smiling a little warily. "Um, so how about in the morning I go, and then I'll come back and we'll take it from there?" She nodded. She didn't want to think about him not coming back. "So, we good?"

"We're good," she said.

"Good." He pulled her onto his lap and she laughed as he gave her a long, playful kiss on the cheek.

The next morning Booth left early, but not before Brennan pulled him into a hug and rested her head on his chest, letting his heart beat against her ear. "I love you," he had whispered before he slipped out.

The drive was smooth as there was very little traffic. He arrived at the school at 8:55, and was standing around when his phone rang. "Go to the docks." It was the man who had called about Jared. Without hanging up, Booth slowly approached the docks. He could hear the man's quiet breathing on the other end, and he wanted nothing more than to strangle the guy. People were milling around, and he was looking for anyone talking on a phone when a piece of paper being pulled by the breeze caught his eye. He stared at it, wondering if he should look at it. "Yes, Agent Booth," the man said. Booth pulled the phone away from his ear, stared at it, then replaced it and picked up the note.

_The house of worship topped with blue._

_Sit there and think of what to do._

Booth read and reread the note several times before hearing the man hang up. "Hey!" Booth yelled. "Hey! What does this mean?" But it was no use. The line was dead.


	23. The Answer at the Altar

**23-The Answer at the Altar**

Booth sprinted into the lab two hours later, heading straight for Brennan's office. Without knocking he threw open the door, relieved that there was no one else inside. Before he could say anything Brennan had tugged hard on his collar and her tongue was making his eyes roll back in his head and his limbs go weak. As the kiss ended Booth couldn't recall why he was there in the first place. Then he remembered. "Look," he breathed. He pulled the note out of his pocket.

Brennan took it carefully and read it. "He gave this to you?" she asked.

"No." He paused. "He called. Told me to go to the docks. I saw this piece of paper, and he told me to pick it up."

"Wait. How did he know you saw the paper if he was on the phone?" she asked.

Booth shook his head. "I don't know. He just said, 'Yes,' and I picked it up. Then he hung up. I have no idea what this means."

"What what means?" Hodgins had entered the office. Booth slowly turned to face him. "Sorry, I…I'll just…."

"No, Hodgins, wait," Booth said, making a decision. He looked back at Brennan and her heart was being crushed at how helpless he looked. "We…" he said, still looking at Brennan, "we need help."

"Sure," Hodgins agreed, briskly walking over to the pair. He took the note and read it quickly. "Catholic," he said after a moment's pause.

"Yes, Hodgins, I'm Catholic, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe he wants you to pray," Brennan suggested.

"No, no," Hodgins cut in. "Catholic University. You have to go there."

"How did you get Catholic University from that?" Brennan asked.

Booth's eyes widened. "Of course! The cathedral there has that blue dome! Thanks, Hodgins," he said, taking the note and patting the scientist on the back. Hodgins left and Booth turned to Brennan. "Come on, Bones."

"I can come now?" she asked.

"Yeah. I would rather you stay here and be safe, but…I need your help. I need you, Bones. I don't know how I could have been so stupid as to think I was making the right choice by leaving you here."

"I know you didn't do it out of selfishness," she said.

"Thanks, Bones," he mumbled before kissing her without abandon.

"Hey, Dr. B, I forgot-oh. Oh my God I am really sorry," Hodgins said, starting to back out of the room. He had witnessed the two kissing and he did _not_ want to be responsible for revealing their secret to the lab. The pair jumped, but Hodgins was surprised when Booth didn't reach for his gun. "I, um, forgot to give you this file," he said, timidly handing it to Brennan.

"Thank you, Dr. Hodgins."

"Uh, no problem." He was almost out the door when Booth spoke.

"Hodgins?"

Hodgins swallowed nervously. "Yeah?"

"If you tell anyone about what you just saw, I will shoot you in between the eyes."

"Booth!" Brennan scolded.

Booth sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. After all, Hodgins had been a great help to him over the past few weeks. "Fine. I won't shoot. But don't tell anyone, OK? Not even Angela."

"OK," he agreed after a pause. "But can I ask one more question?"

Booth ran a hand over his face. "Sure."

"The New Year's kiss? That was a plan between you two, right? Thereby deceiving Angela and the rest of us that it was just a product of Booth's longing, when really you two were in on it together."

"Yes, Hodgins."

"Nice. Oh man, if Angela finds out…."

"That is precisely why you're not going to tell her. Now, Bones and I have to get going, so thanks for your cooperation."

"Any time, Booth, any time." Hodgins exited the office whistling.

"Hey, Hodgie," Angela said, sidling up next to him. "What's got you so happy?"

"Oh, just the fact that tonight I have something very special planned for us," he said with a wicked grin. Angela laughed and kissed him before returning to work. _Crisis averted_, Hodgins thought.

"Do you think there will be another note?" Brennan asked as they entered the cathedral.

"I don't know, Bones. I just need…." He trailed off. She took his hand and they sat in one of the pews. Booth stared all around, desperate for a clue. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that Brennan wasn't next to him anymore until minutes later. "Bones, where-?" he started to ask, but stopped when he saw her at one of the podiums on the altar. "Bones," he hissed, going up to her. "What are you doing? You can't just be up here like this."

Brennan wasn't really listening. She was somewhat fascinated by what she saw. "Do you know these songs?" she asked, flipping through the laminated pages in the binder.

"Yeah," Booth sighed. "Come on, we shouldn't-."

"Look," she said softly, cutting him off. In the front inside pocket of the binder was another white piece of paper. She held it as they read together.

_I wasn't as cryptic as I could have been._

_I trust you've brought your scientist friend_.

"That's cryptic enough for me," Booth said.

Brennan scrunched her nose in thought. "Maybe Hodgins can decipher it."

"Yeah," he said. They were almost to the last step when Booth stopped. "Wait," he whispered, pulling her close. "Thank you."

She could feel him trembling slightly as they embraced. They made their way back to the SUV and climbed inside. Brennan could barely take her eyes off Booth as they rode; she had never seen him like this before. _This is probably how he was when I was kidnapped_, she thought, then shuddered. She was scared for Booth, and hoped he could hold it together long enough to find Jared.


	24. Waves of Confusion

**sooo sorry i haven't updated in so long! RL is really busy since i'm in the process of applying to schools. please enjoy and review!

* * *

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24-Waves of Confusion

Back at the lab, Booth and Brennan once again went to Hodgins for help. Much more of this and the team was going to start getting suspicious.

"Obviously the message is meant to be cryptic," Hodgins said. "But this doesn't seem like a riddle or clue at all…just a statement."

"Maybe that's why it's cryptic," Booth offered. Hodgins rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"What do you think's going on?" Angela asked quietly. She, Wendell, and Cam were watching Booth, Brennan, and Hodgins from her office.

"I have no idea," Cam said.

"It's obviously not about the case; they would have told us. Hodgins looks thoughtful."

"Booth looks frustrated," Wendell said.

"Hmm," Angela mused.

"What?" asked Cam.

"Well, Booth looks like that a lot, and Hodgins looks like _that_ a lot, but Bren never looks that way."

"Um, what way?" Wendell asked.

"Like she's just observing without thinking. She's watching. She never watches," Angela said, never taking her eyes off the trio.

Wendell thought. "I don't think we should be doing this. It's obviously private."

"Even if Bren says she can't tell me she will. She can't keep anything from me."

"What's with girls and this 'best friends have no secrets' code?" Angela snorted. "Besides, I don't want Booth to be mad at me."

"Honey, Booth will never hurt you. And he loves me and let's face it, he'll never touch Cam."

"Yeah, but he'll get angry. Come on, let's get back to work." Cam hustled Wendell out of the office and left Angela to her musings.

Booth, Brennan, and Hodgins had rattled off ideas like there was no tomorrow, but they still had nothing. Booth's palms were beginning to sweat and he knew he needed air. "Is there anything in the basement of the cathedral?" Brennan suddenly asked.

"What?" Booth asked, beginning to feel like he was passing out.

"Look at me," Brennan said softly. She knew she had to get him focused and thinking about something else. She started speaking when he met her eyes. "Is there something in the basement of the cathedral?" she asked again.

Booth took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, there's a souvenir shop, some food places, this one place has really good ice cream…." Suddenly it hit him. "There's one of those places where they bury dead people above ground…."

"A mausoleum," Brennan provided.

"A crypt," said Hodgins. "'I wasn't as _cryptic_ as I could have been,'" he recited.

"The crypt," Booth said. "We have to go." He and Brennan rushed off the platform. "Thanks, Hodgins!" Booth called over his shoulder as they hustled off the platform.

"Thanks for what?" Angela asked.

Hodgins jumped. "Nothing. Just…lent him some money. You know how it is for Booth. Child support and stuff like that."

"Uh-huh," Angela said, totally unconvinced.

They ran to the entrance but slowed to a walk just outside the door. "Come on, it's down here," Booth said. Once they reached the mausoleum Booth felt his palms start to sweat again.

They scanned every name, felt every tomb, and traced every outline. There was no note to be found. Booth was getting extremely nervous and felt like he was going to be sick any minute. Growling in anger and frustration, he kicked one of the tombs, tripping and sliding as it gave way and shot back into the wall. "Booth!" Brennan yelled. She ran over to him and took out her flashlight, shining it into the cavity.

"You see anything?" Booth asked.

"Yes, I believe so." She took out latex gloves and snapped them on, crawling into the recess. A minute later she appeared with a bone in her hand that had a note attached to it. Booth pulled on a glove and took the piece of paper, carefully reading it.

_This is the bone of a man who died at sea._

_Find out who he was and what he was meant to be._

Booth uttered the one phrase he had a thousand times before, the one that he knew would keep him from going completely insane: "Back to the Jeffersonian."


	25. The Body in the Clue

**25-The Body in the Clue**

"Hodgins," Booth whispered breathlessly as he and Brennan arrived back at the Jeffersonian.

Hodgins turned and was surprised at Booth's red face as he stumbled up the platform, ignoring the incessant siren that signaled that he forgot to swipe his card. "Woah, what's up?"

Booth looked around quickly. "Is anyone else here?"

Before Hodgins could answer someone else did. "Yeah, why? Got a secret?"

"Angela, geez. You scared me," replied Booth.

"It's OK, I already know," Angela said.

Booth glared at Hodgins. "I didn't tell her!" he said, holding his hands up.

"I did," Brennan said quietly.

Booth turned, his mouth hanging open. "Bones, why would you do that?" he asked quietly.

"I was really upset and I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

"Are we talking about the same thing?" Booth asked.

"Well what are you talking about?"

Booth didn't want to say it out loud. "What are _you_ talking about?" he asked.

"Well I asked you first."

"Yeah but-."

"Guys, stop!" Hodgins said. "Angela, what did Dr. B tell you?"

Angela took a deep breath, tears filling her eyes. "That…" she sniffed, "that Jared was missing. I didn't think anyone else knew and I didn't want to upset anyone-."

She stopped abruptly as Booth gave her a hug. "It's OK, Ange," he said quietly. He pulled back and looked down into her eyes. "Thank you for being so concerned." She nodded, biting her lower lip.

"You know about this too, Jack?"

"Yeah," Hodgins answered. "I was…helping them with the clues."

"What clues?"

"These," Brennan said, grabbing them from Booth's pocket and laying them out on the closest table.

"Have you figured any of them out?" Angela asked.

"Yes, the first two. Each one leads to the next," Brennan answered.

"So…this," Angela started, pointing to the newest one, "is the one you don't know?"

"We know it, it's just…." Booth trailed off.

"We don't have enough for identification," Brennan finished.

"Why would he string us along and then leave us at a dead end? It doesn't make any sense," Booth mused. Just then his phone rang. "Booth," he answered. "Yep. OK, we're on our way." He hung up and looked directly at Bones. "Body," he said, and they rushed out.

"Booth?" Brennan asked hesitantly as they were in the car. He was gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"What's up, Bones?" he asked, looking in her direction. He didn't seem any different than he would if this were a regular case.

"Where was this body found?"

"In the Chesapeake Bay."

"Do you think it's the body in the clue?" she asked.

"I hate to say this, but…I hope so."


	26. The Older Brothers

**26-The Older Brothers**

They arrived at the scene and after a cursory examination Brennan had the remains sent back to the lab. "Booth?" Brennan asked again as they drove back to the lab.

"Yeah?"

"If you want the case handed over to someone else…." She knew that now the killer had to be identified and that it would hinder their progress in finding Jared. Usually she was all about bringing justice, but as Booth often said, this person was already dead. Jared wasn't.

"No, I…" Booth started, resting his head on the steering wheel at a red light, "we have to find whoever did this. I have no doubt it's the guy who has Jared now."

Brennan pointed forward, signaling that the light was green, and Booth stepped on the gas. "It may impede our progress on Jared," she said after a moment's pause.

"I don't know, Bones. What if this guy is the killer? Then it will only help us to find him."

"Yes, but what if he knew we couldn't resist taking the case? What if he's just trying to distract us?" she asked.

"I don't think he would have left us all those clues just to throw us off. He would have just killed somebody, dumped the body, hoped we found it, and then done whatever. This body is the next clue, Bones. It has to be," he added in quiet desperation.

After letting the bones dry, Wendell began placing the tissue markers for Angela as Brennan and Cam worked to identify cause of death. By now the entire team knew about Jared's case and was eager to help. As Angela sketched the victim's face for Booth, Cam pulled him off to the side. "Seeley, why didn't you tell us about this before?" she asked softly.

Booth paced and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know." Cam stood patiently waiting for him to continue. "Because if we failed…if _I_ failed…if this guy wasn't caught…the team would never look at me the same way."

"Booth, we've never doubted you."

"No, not that. They'd always feel like it was their fault." Cam was about to protest but Booth cut her off. "Maybe not you, but the rest of them would. I know how they get. Every case is personal to them." Cam nodded slightly. "When we were kids," Booth continued, "Jared was my responsibility, especially when…." He trailed off and Cam touched his arm. "But now…I've looked after Jared enough. I want to find him, I do, but I don't want the rest of the team to feel like he's their responsibility too. They need to focus on identifying this body, and if that helps with Jared's case, so be it."

Cam understood. Her heart was breaking at Booth's concern, and she knew he just needed someone to listen and give him time. "OK, Seeley," she said quietly, and they returned to the platform.

"Hey, Booth," Angela said as he and Cam made their way up the steps. "Got the sketch for you."

Booth took it and drew in a sharp breath. The man was handsome and looked to be a little younger than Jared, maybe by about five years. He had a baby face which his chubbier cheeks only accentuated. He was, however, by no means fat. He was muscular and had the body of a hockey player, much like Booth. He had a mop of straight, dirty blond hair and brown eyes that smiled. Angela had done a wonderful job. "Thank you, Angela. I'll run this through the database."

Booth returned shortly with a file in hand and hopped up the platform. "Bones, I got an ID."

"Good, because I have cause of death."

Booth opened the file to reveal a picture of a handsome young man in a hockey uniform, smiling shyly for the camera. "This is James Morganthal, 21. He was last seen a week ago at the docks of the Naval Academy."

Brennan's eyes were fixed on the picture. _Such a cute boy_, she thought sadly. "He was bound at the wrists and ankles, cause of death was drowning."

"So he was bound and thrown into the bay. Unable to escape, he drowned."

Brennan nodded. "That seems the most likely case. Do you have an address?"

"Yeah," Booth said softly. "Let's go."

Twenty-five minutes later they pulled up to a white house with green shutters and a two-car garage. Kids were out playing basketball next door, and the neighborhood was quiet but not eerie. It was surrounded by woods but was just off a main road. Booth and Brennan slowly walked up to the red, stained glass door and rang the doorbell. A tall, skinny woman with light blond hair answered the door. "Mrs. Morganthal?" Booth questioned.

"Yes?" the woman asked timidly.

Booth took out his badge. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI, this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian. We have some news about your son, James."

"Oh," she answered. "Please, come in."

The partners seated themselves on one of the brown couches as Mrs. Morganthal brought them each a glass of water. Her husband joined her moments later. "Mr. and Mrs. Morganthal," Booth started before Mr. Morganthal interrupted him.

"Please, call us John and Carolyn," he said.

Booth paused. He wasn't really comfortable with that as he had always been taught to be respectful to people. "Mr. and Mrs. Morganthal when was the last time you saw your son?" he asked.

"About a week ago," Mrs. Morganthal answered. "He stopped by the house to drop off his laundry."

"And then?" Booth asked.

"He went to the Academy," answered Mr. Morganthal.

"The Naval Academy?" Brennan asked.

"Yes," Mr. Morganthal answered. "Our oldest son, Scott, goes there."

"What was James doing with Scott?" Booth asked.

"Oh, you know, whatever brothers do together," Mr. Morganthal answered.

Booth raised his eyebrows. "Like?"

"They liked to play hockey," Mrs. Morganthal provided. "Especially when they were younger. Always hockey. James plays at Boston College. Once Scott started at the Academy he stopped playing except when James came around. Scott was good but James was better, and he loved it more. May I ask why you're asking these questions about our son? You said you had some news about him?"

Brennan stiffened ever so slightly and Booth drew in a deep breath. They both hated this part. "Mrs. Morganthal, James was murdered," Booth said. She let out a wail and collapsed against her husband. Booth and Brennan waited silently until they could resume questioning. "Could we have Scott's contact information?" Booth asked when all was silent.

"Of course," Mrs. Morganthal said as she scribbled a phone number and address down on a piece of paper.

"Thank you, and we're very sorry for your loss," Booth said as they exited, and Mr. Morganthal shook both their hands before they went back to the SUV. They made it to the Academy quickly to question Scott. Arriving at the address, they knocked a few times.

"Yeah?" the kid answered. He looked like an older James.

"Special Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan," Booth said, flashing his badge. "We have a few questions about your brother."

"Sure, come in," Scott said. The dorm was well kept for a college kid, and the partners took a seat opposite Scott. "James was here a week ago, but I haven't heard from him since."

"Is that unusual?" Brennan asked.

"No, we're not really allowed on our cell phones much here," Scott answered.

"Did James come by a lot?" asked Booth.

Scott shrugged. "Once or twice every few weeks. I can't really go up to Boston so he made the trip."

"Is there anyone you can think of who didn't like James, maybe who held something against him?" Booth asked.

Scott thought. "No. James was shy. He didn't know many people here, but everyone he did know liked him. Girls were crazy for him, you know?"

_Oh, he knows_, Brennan thought.

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what's all this about?"

_Here we go again_, Booth thought. "Scott, I'm sorry but your brother was murdered."

Scott gripped the arm of the couch. "What? I mean, how? Why? When?"

"That's what we're trying to determine," Brennan said. "That's why we're asking if you know anyone who could have done this."

Scott swallowed a few times and shook his head. "No," he managed to choke out.

"OK, well, here's my information, and if you think of or hear anything just call, OK?" Booth said, placing a card on the table in front of Scott and gently clapping him on the back.

"Of course," he said, standing up to let them out.

"We're very sorry, Scott," Brennan provided.

"Thank you," he said before shutting the door.

The ride back to the lab was spent in silence. All Booth could think about was how badly he didn't want that to be him. How he could end up like Scott, devastated and barely able to think a coherent thought. He took a few deep breaths and led Brennan back inside the lab.

"Booth, Dr. B, thank God you're here," Hodgins said, sliding across the floor to get to them.

"What is it, Dr. Hodgins?" Brennan asked.

"You guys really need to see this." He led the pair to one of the autopsy tables where there was a letter sitting alone. Angela, Cam, and Wendell stood around looking at it like it was about to explode.

"It's addressed to Agent Booth," Wendell said.

"Then why would it come here?" Angela asked. "Why not just send it to him at the Hoover?"

"OK, we'll probably want to take some safety precautions…" Hodgins started.

Booth rolled his eyes and pushed his way through to the table. "It's probably just another clue," he said, ripping the envelope open. Sure enough, a white piece of paper came out and landed in Booth's palm. Slowly he unfolded it as Brennan approached him.

_You'll have to be well-read to figure out this clue._

"_Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view."_

Booth immediately looked skyward, followed by Brennan. When her eyes reached the ceiling, she screamed.


	27. Not the Norm

**27-Not the Norm**

Brennan nearly collapsed as her knees gave out and she turned to Booth, who caught her halfway down. Booth was trying to slow his erratic breathing as his chest heaved in and out rapidly. "Bones, Cam, Angela, get out," he said forcefully, but his eyes were wild with panic. Brennan was gripping Booth so tightly it took all of Cam's and Angela's strength to pry her away. "Hodgins, Wendell."

"Say no more, G-man," Hodgins said, holding up a hand. "We got your back." Wendell went to watch over the girls as Booth and Hodgins stared at the ceiling. "Who could've done this?" Hodgins mused.

"Obviously someone who has access to the lab," Booth answered. The thought that it could be someone from the team never crossed their minds. It just didn't make sense. No one even knew about the case until today, and even though Booth and Brennan were away for most of the day, Booth doubted anyone here would betray them again. "Has anyone you didn't recognize been in the lab lately?"

"Not while I was here," Hodgins answered. Taking one last look at the ceiling, the men let out a long breath before going to find Wendell and the girls.

Booth and Hodgins entered Brennan's office and were met with mostly frightened gazes. Cam was pacing with her arms crossed over her chest, Wendell had a hand on Angela's shoulder, and Brennan looked at Booth like he was about to combust. "Cam, we need you," Booth said simply.

"What's going on, you two?" she asked as soon as they were outside the office.

"Was there anyone here in the lab that isn't normally here?" Booth asked.

"Seeley, _what_ is happening?" Cam asked.

"I don't know, Cam! I have no idea what's going on, alright? Everyone is freaking out and I'm trying not to, which is why I didn't want you guys to know about this in the first place, but you all are so nosy that you just had to butt in, and now there's some writing on the ceiling and no one has any idea as to how it got there!"

Hodgins waited a moment before putting his hand lightly on Booth's shoulder. "Booth, calm down, man."

Booth was shaking with anger and fear, but he patted Hodgins' hand lightly as a symbol of his gratitude. "Anyone, Cam," he said. "Anyone at all?"

"The military unit borrowed an x-ray machine a few days ago. It was returned last night. Other than that, no one," she answered.

"Thank you," Booth said softly, then turned towards the doors.

"Booth, wait, where are you going?" called Hodgins.

"Military unit!" he called back.

Booth asked Dr. Becker everything he could think of. As head of the military unit, she knew all the ins and outs of the department. No one that worked in the unit had set foot in the squints' lab. "Have you been working with anyone who _doesn't_ work in the military unit?" Booth sighed.

"Yes, Dr. Stevens," Dr. Becker answered, nodding.

Booth fought the urge to rudely ask her why she hadn't told him that in the first place. _These people are so literal_, he thought. _It's only cute when Bones is that way_. "And who is Dr. Stevens?"

"A professor at the Naval Academy," she answered.

"And where can I contact him?" Booth asked. He gave her a smile as she handed him a piece of paper with Stevens' information on it and went back to check on Brennan.

As Booth entered the office everyone else knew to leave. Slowly making his way over, Booth squatted down so he was eye to eye with Brennan. "I have something," he said softly.

Reading the card he flashed in front of her, Brennan simply shook her head.

"Tomorrow?" Booth asked, thinking she didn't want to question this guy now.

"No," she said, her voice wavering.

"I'll keep you safe, Bones," he whispered.

"It's not _me_ I'm worried about!" she said, bolting from the couch.

"Yeah, I know you never worry about yourself, Bones. I'll put extra security at the lab-."

"No, Booth, it's you! I'm worried about _you_." She was gripping his forearms and he pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on her head. "Booth," she said, pulling back, "this man, whoever he is, seems intent on making you pay for your sins."

Booth knocked three times with Brennan by his side. "Come in," came a man's voice, and they slowly entered the room. "Can I help you?" the man asked. He was dressed in a suit and sitting behind a desk. The plaque on his desk read CHRIS BRUNSWICK, DEAN OF STUDENTS.

"Yeah, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian. We were wondering if you could tell us about Dr. Patrick Stevens."

"Of course," said the dean. "Dr. Stevens is a professor of war studies here at the Naval Academy. He teaches students about the causes of war and how technology has progressed."

"Is he well-liked?" Brennan asked.

"It depends," the dean ventured.

"On what?" Booth asked, leaning forward.

"Well, Dr. Stevens takes an interest in students who are very promising. Usually the students find that it is for their own good and develop a bond with Dr. Stevens. Sometimes, though, the attention is unwelcome."

"What happens when the attention is 'unwelcome'?" Booth asked, making air quotes with his fingers.

"There is only one case I can think of in which this was the circumstance. I haven't heard anything of it, though. I assume it worked out."

_You ASSUME?_ Brennan thought. _This guy takes no responsibility. I think we should arrest him_, she thought as she met Booth's gaze.

Booth suppressed a chuckle as he read Brennan's thoughts. _I'm thinking we should question Stevens first_.

The dean cleared his throat and the pair snapped back into the moment. "Dean Brunswick, do you have the name of the student who Dr. Stevens thought was so promising?" Booth asked.

"Of course, Agent. His name is Scott Morganthal. He's a very bright young man."


	28. The Seeds of Brotherhood

**28-The Seeds of Brotherhood**

"Scott, it's Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan!" Booth called. "Open up!"

Scott answered the door in jeans and no shirt. Brennan clamped her hand over her eyes as Booth led her into the dorm. "When did you get to be so prude, Bones?" Booth asked quietly after Scott went in search of a shirt.

"After I started seeing you naked," she said, smirking. "Didn't want you getting jealous."

Before Booth could respond Scott was back and had plopped down on the couch. "Did you find out anything about James?" he asked, desperation etched across his features.

Brennan glanced at Booth. "Well, we're thinking you could help," she said. "You are currently in a class with Dr. Stevens, correct?"

"Yeah, War and Tech," he said.

"Dean Brunswick tells us that Dr. Stevens has been giving you some unwanted attention," Booth said.

Scott sighed. "It's not like I didn't appreciate his concern. Stevens is cool, I like him. One day after class he asked if I would like to meet in my free time because he thought I was a promising student. I don't wanna sound lazy, but I said that I liked to spend time with my brother and told him that he came down from Boston just to see me. It wasn't like I was gonna just blow James off for some study session."

"What did Dr. Stevens think about that?" Booth asked.

Scott sighed again. "He said he knew that James and I played hockey on campus and he thought that wasting my time with something so juvenile would impede my progress."

"How is hockey juvenile?" Booth asked, a bit irritated that someone would say that. The man obviously had not watched one hockey game in his life.

"Booth," Brennan scolded.

Scott shrugged. "I don't know. I told him it's kind of like war," he said, smiling a crooked smile. "I was thinking about writing my term paper on it, but now I don't know. He'd probably fail me for it."

"Had Dr. Stevens ever met James?" Booth asked.

"No, but he'd probably seen him enough times. He was always looking for me after class, and most of the time I was with James." Booth and Brennan were silent; they seemed to be thinking deeply. "You wanna question him, don't you?" Scott finally asked.

"Yes," Brennan said. Scott wrote some information down on a piece of paper and handed it to the pair. Suddenly Brennan remembered something. "Scott?"

"Yeah?"

"What was James' major?" she asked.

"Theology," he answered. "Kid wanted to be a minister. He read The Bible cover to cover you know."

"Huh," Booth said.

"Thank you again, Scott," Brennan said on their way out.

"No problem," he said before shutting the door.

"Bones," Booth said as they walked down the hall, "why did you ask that?"

"You mean why did I ask what James was studying at school?"

"Yeah."

"The clue said to." Booth was still drawing a blank. "'Find out who he was and what he was meant to be.'"

Booth smiled and kissed her hard on the cheek. "You're brilliant, Bones," he said happily.

When they got to Stevens' room it was empty. So was his apartment. Brunswick hadn't seen him lately and neither had the students. He was usually always on campus, they said. Mail was spilling out of his school mailbox, and Booth rifled through it while Brennan picked some up off the ground. "There's a lot of stuff here from the VA," Booth commented.

"Doesn't surprise me," Brennan said.

"Why not?"

She looked up as she paused her movements. "He taught about war. Who better to do that than someone who's been in one?"

"You never fail to make me proud, Bones."

"You knew he was one too?"

"Yeah, I figured."

There was a few moments' silence before Brennan stood and spoke. "This one has your name on it, Booth."

Booth took it and examined it. It was a plain white envelope mixed in with some other mail, and had "Agent Booth" written on it in pen. He tore open the envelope and pulled out another white piece of paper.

_The seeds of brotherhood have been sown._

_When you come, you'll come alone._

An address was scribbled at the bottom.

_575 7__th__ Street NW_

_Washington, DC_


	29. Did You Just Call Us Tick Tock?

**29-Did You Just Call Us Tick Tock?**

Booth was speeding down the street, cracking the knuckles of one hand while the other was on the steering wheel.

"Booth, where are you going?" Brennan asked. "This isn't the way to 7th Street."

"I know," he said. He looked over at her. "I'm taking you back to the lab."

Brennan grew furious. "But you said I could come with you and help you!" She was almost out of her seat.

"'When you come, you'll come alone,' Bones. It doesn't get any clearer than that."

"Screw that, Booth. I'm coming with you so turn around."

"Bones," Booth sat calmly as he parked the car at the lab, "I will not put your life at risk. Don't try to argue with me. I'll call for backup when I'm on my way there. You'll stay at the lab. I'll have Charlie update you on everything."

She paused and he thought maybe he had won this argument. "No!" she yelled.

_Spoke too soon_, he thought.

"I will not be waiting by the phone to hear from _Charlie_ if you're dead or alive!"

"Looks pretty heated," Wendell commented.

"Yeah, they're really goin' at it," Hodgins added. From outside the doors they had a great view into the windshield of Booth's car.

"I wonder what it's about," Angela said mischievously.

"Whatever it is seems to have upset Dr. Brennan," Wendell said.

"Why do you say that?" Angela asked.

Wendell jerked his head towards the pair. "She's crying." Sure enough, Brennan was shaking in Booth's arms.

"Booth, I can't…I won't…I won't have you leave me," she cried.

"I'm not leaving you, Bones," he soothed, stroking her hair.

"I'm not going to sit at home while some man comes to my door and tells me that you died like a soldier in battle!" she screamed before collapsing back onto his chest.

"Bones, why are you so obsessed with the idea that I'm going to die?"

"Vainglory, avarice, and lust, pay for these you must? It was written on the ceiling, Booth! Those aren't venial sins! They're mortal, just like you. He'll kill you, Booth." Booth's face was a mask of shock and confusion. "Now that I have you, _really_ have you," she said, raising her head from its place on his chest, "I'm even more scared to lose you."

It took an hour, but Brennan had finally cried herself to sleep. She sat limply in Booth's arms as he carefully got out of the SUV and carried her to the lab. No one said a word as Booth took her into her office and shut the door.

Angela, Hodgins, and Wendell hadn't stuck around long enough to watch her cry, and all three of them were dying to know what had transpired. Especially Angela.

She was standing some ten feet away from Brennan's office door when Booth emerged, quietly shutting the door behind him. "What happened?" she asked quietly. Booth took out the clue with the address on it. "What's that place?"

"I don't know, I'm goin' there now. Keep an eye on Bones, and _don't_ let her leave the lab. I'm gonna call Charlie and tell him to keep her updated on my progress. I'll be back." He said nothing else to anyone, just stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out the doors as if it were any other day.

Booth called Charlie, explained the situation, then picked up his receiver. "This is 22705 requesting a tac team at 575 7th Street Northwest, ETA approximately 20 minutes."

"Roger that, 22705, tac team is on its way."

Twenty minutes later, Booth was at the given address. Surprisingly, it was in the middle of a nice part of town and he was in the midst of people milling about. Truthfully, he had expected a dark warehouse in the middle of nowhere. He had actually had to track a kidnapper so many times he had established his own norm and expectations, and he didn't think that was good. Making his way up the sidewalk to the building, he noted that it looked a lot like a house, which made more sense to him than just having someone holed up in a public building. But then he read the sign and groaned; it _was_ a public building. NATIONAL CRIME AND PUNISHMENT MUSEUM.

Booth noticed that the tac team had arrived and he signaled them discreetly. Pushing the door open, he noticed the museum was closed for renovation. _So that's why this place worked_, he thought as he crept through sawdust and loose nails. Climbing up a set of rickety steps, he made almost no noise as his gun was drawn and his eyes scanned his surroundings constantly.

There was only one door atop the steps, and it stood slightly ajar, welcoming a silent visitor. Back to the wall, Booth shuffled until he could see inside the door. He could not see the man's face, only his back. He was mostly bald, with white hair around the dome of his head. He was of average height and had a bit of a beer belly from what Booth could tell. He was older to be sure, in his late fifties if not sixties. Booth met his brother's eyes and saw them widen, effectively giving away Booth's position. _Damnit, Jared_, he thought as the man slowly turned, keeping his gun trained on Jared's head.

"Agent. Booth," he spat as he punctuated both syllables. "You've figured out the clues. No doubt your…_curvaceous_ scientist helped you." Booth bit the inside of his cheek. "Don't look so angry, Agent Booth. We both know a simple cop," and he spat this last word, "doesn't have the brains to keep up with something this complicated." Booth's trigger finger twitched. "You probably smelled your way here like a common bloodhound."

Booth waited until the man was done laughing. "Don't," he warned, "talk about Bones like that."

Brennan lifted herself halfway off the couch and looked around, rubbing her eyes with back of her hand. She soon realized that she was in her office. All the lights were off and a blanket covered her. Blinking a few times, she shook her head and dashed out of her office, almost running into Angela. "Angela," Brennan said breathlessly, "where's Booth? Did he leave?"

Angela bit her lip. She couldn't lie. Well, she _could_, but she wouldn't. "Yeah, he left."

"Where did he go?" Brennan asked hurriedly, ready to shake her friend.

"I…"

"Angela!" Brennan shrieked.

"I don't know," Angela said, seconds from sobbing.

"I'm going to find him," Brennan said.

She was moving towards the door when Hodgins got to her. "No, no, no," he said, putting his arms under hers and pulling her back towards her office. Brennan was kicking trying to get free. "Wendell!" Hodgins called. The blonde boy bounded up quickly and grabbed Brennan's feet, helping Hodgins carry her to her office.

"Sorry, Dr. B," he said, smiling and cocking his head to one side.

Brennan stopped struggling. "Don't be sorry, Wendell," she said smugly before kicking him in the chest. Wendell fell to the ground as he got the wind knocked out of him. Brennan rounded on Hodgins and he basically sidestepped her. She was out the door in no time.

"What on Earth is going on out here?" Cam asked as she walked out past the platform.

Wendell got up and brushed himself off. "Um," he started. Cam raised a threatening eyebrow. "Dr. B ran away," he said.

"What a cute nickname," the man sneered. Booth growled low in his throat. "I have no doubt she's your lover. Tell me, Agent Booth, are you looking forward to watching her witness the Booth brothers' deaths?"

"Screw you, Stevens," Booth said through clenched teeth.

Stevens smacked Jared with the gun, causing the chair he was in to topple over. Jared was out cold, wrists and ankles bound to the hard wood. "Oh, how I hate men like you," Stevens snarled. "But we'll get to that later. You see, Scott was my brightest student in years. He had so much potential. But James." Stevens' grip on his gun tightened. "James was getting in the way. Talking about how no matter what happened when Scott went off to war, God would protect him. I didn't want Scott getting those ideas in his head, but he wouldn't listen, so I had to get rid of James. And now the same must be done for you, Agent Booth. I doubt you'll deny that Jared has gotten in your way more than once. You have always taken the hit, the blame." Here he stopped, waiting for Booth's response. Booth wouldn't have offered one if he didn't catch a glimpse of something outside the window. He knew Stevens didn't see it, so he used his answer to buy time.

"I was protecting Jared. That's what you do…for the people…you love," he ground out.

"Oh, Agent Booth," Stevens chuckled. "You are so…insufferable. You're too proud. You think you're so special. You believe that God will protect you, even after all the horrible things you've done. He can't save you, Agent Booth. No one can. Because God doesn't like people who think they're better than everyone else. What's that called again, Agent Booth?"

"Vainglory," Booth answered, buying more time.

"Yes, vainglory. I'm sure your partner would attest to your unrivaled levels of cockiness."

Brennan had remembered the address and arrived there quickly. Sprinting towards the building, she used a ladder left there by the construction crew to climb onto the roof. Making her way carefully across the slanted rooftop, she found what she was looking for: a small access panel that had been cut by the workers, and she put one eye to the finger hole and observed.

"But that's not all, oh no," Stevens continued. Booth tried to control his racing pulse as he heard Brennan on the roof. She was quiet, but he was a former sniper. He heard her. "Avarice, Agent Booth. You crave the riches your partner has. It would make life so much easier, wouldn't it?" Booth stood stock still. "Child support, hospital bills. You're barely keeping up." It was all Booth could do to keep himself from shaking with rage. "And, last but not least, _lust_. Like a dog on a leash you've followed that woman for four and a half years, just waiting. Waiting to use her and then throw her away, leaving her without looking back." Booth saw Brennan open the access panel out of his periphery, but kept his eyes focused on Stevens. "You shouldn't have bothered. From what Jared tells me, she thinks you're a loser."

"I do not," Brennan said. Stevens quickly turned his head to look at her and Booth smirked.

"I knew you'd come," Booth said. Out of nowhere Stevens screamed in rage and fired a shot, barely missing Brennan. "Bones!" Booth yelled, which, consequently, drew Stevens' attention back on him. Another shot rang out but Booth didn't register the sound. He marched over to Stevens while Brennan gave Stevens a swift kick to the knees, landing him on his back. She wrenched his gun away in the process and Booth stood with one foot on Stevens' chest and pushed down hard. "You have no idea of the power of God, and I'm sure you never will. See you in Hell." He fired the shot and all was silent.

The tac team rushed into the building virtually unnoticed by Booth and Brennan. Booth was holding his breath and then letting it out in grunts through his nose. "Booth, you're shot," Brennan said, leaning down to examine the hole in his thigh.

"It's alright," he grunted. "Mostly muscle." His leg gave out and landed on the wooden floor with a thump. "Please, Bones, get the bullet out." She reached into her field kit and produced a pair of tweezers. She carefully pulled the bullet out, all the while Booth clenching his jaw and letting out long breaths through his nose. One of the tac team members called the ambulance. "Bones," he grunted.

"What?" she asked worriedly. "Booth, what is it?" she asked when he took a while to answer.

"Go untie Jared."

"But Booth-."

"GO. Please."

Brennan rushed over to Jared and untied him just as he was waking up. "Temperance?" he asked warily.

"Hi, Jared," she said.

"Where's…where's Seeley?" She helped him to sit up and pointed to Booth, who was clutching his leg and leaning his head back.

"Hey, little brother," he said, cracking a smile.

"Hey," Jared responded, and they miraculously heard each other over the sound of sirens.


	30. Yep, It's Another Hospital Scene

**30-Yep, It's Another Hospital Scene**

"Oooh," Booth groaned as he sat up halfway, moving his hand to his forehead. Brennan was asleep with her head on his thigh. A green blanket covered him and he was dressed in a blue hospital gown.

"Well hello there," a nurse said as she walked in and smiled.

"Where's Jared?" Booth asked as the nurse made some notes on his chart.

"Your brother is right over there," the nurse said kindly, pointing to Booth's left where Jared lay asleep in his bed. "He should be out for a few more hours. We've stitched up your wound and given you some pain medication."

Booth shifted his leg and grunted in pain. "Yeah I don't think it's working very well."

The nurse gave a slight chuckle. "Here, you can push this button to up your morphine."

As soon as she was out the door Booth pushed the button a few times. Sitting back and waiting for the medicine to take hold, he felt Brennan stir.

Looking up, she rubbed her eyes, and upon meeting his, she smiled. "How are you feeling?" she asked huskily.

"OK," he said, a little short of breath upon seeing her wake up and hearing her husky voice. "In some pain." She nodded and laid a hand on his chest. "How's Jared?"

"OK," she replied. "He's been asleep since we got in the room."

Booth nodded. "Come lay with me," he said.

"Won't that hurt?" Brennan asked.

"No," Booth said, "I pushed the button for more morphine."

Brennan stopped mid-climb and raised her eyebrows. "How many times did you push it?"

Booth shrugged. "Three or four."

"Booth!"

He shrugged again. "Nothing we can do now." She rolled her eyes and crawled into bed with him. They lay quietly for a few minutes before Booth spoke again. "Bones," he said.

"Yes?"

He paused, his eyes moving towards the ceiling as if he was contemplating his next words very carefully. "Bones," he finally said.

"Yes, Booth?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"I…I love you," he said, pushing his finger into her chest.

"Do you?" she responded playfully while gently moving his finger away.

He nodded vigorously. "You're so beautiful," he said.

"Why thank you," she said with a huge smile. He was so high it was hysterical.

"Sleep with me," he said.

"OK." She rested her head on a pillow but he pulled her to his chest. Well, he tried to pull her to his chest, but he didn't have the strength. She realized his intention and moved until she was where he wanted her to be.

"I like when you rest your head on my chest," he said happily.

"Oh yeah?" she said, lightly scratching his torso with her nails.

"Yeah. I like…I like when you hear my heartbeat. Because I love you. And love," here he paused and flicked his wrist so his hand was palm up, "comes from the heart."

"That's very insightful of you, Booth." Within minutes they were both asleep.

When they woke up again Jared was just waking as well. "I'll be back," Brennan said softly as she smoothed Booth's hair before carefully getting off the bed.

"Seeley," Jared said quietly.

"Hi, Jared."

"You got any water?" Booth poured him a glass but realized that their beds were too far apart for him to actually hand it to Jared. Brennan was down the hall talking to Hodgins, so Booth rolled out of the bed and limped over. "Thanks, man."

"So," Booth started, "how ya feelin'?"

"Like a bus smashed into my face," Jared replied, and they shared a laugh until Jared groaned and touched his head.

"You got a nasty gash there, bro," Booth informed him.

"Seeley," Jared said, his eyes growing serious, "I don't…I'd have died without you."

Booth laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let's talk about it later, Jared. You should rest. And I should lie down." Booth was just putting the blanker over himself when Brennan returned, and she raised her eyebrows when she caught his eye. He grinned sheepishly and motioned for her to come to the side of the bed. Leaning towards her, he whispered in her ear and she nodded her head. She grabbed the side of the bed and the railing and wheeled Booth so he was right next to Jared. Booth grabbed his brother's hand and was once again consumed by sleep.

That night the doctor informed them that they could both be discharged, and Brennan drove to Jared's apartment with Booth in front and Jared lying down across the seats in the back. They had tried to convince Jared to stay with them, but he had politely declined, saying he wanted to be home and that his neighbor was going to check on him since they were pretty good friends. "I know you're dying to know, Seeley," Jared said suddenly.

Booth didn't pretend to be clueless. "Yeah, but-."

"No," Jared cut him off. "I need to tell you." Jared rested his head on the pillow in the back seat and told Booth and Brennan how Stevens had approached him after he made a guest speech in the War and Tech class. "He said he was in the Army, and I said that you were too, Seel. We got to talking. I said I had some bad habits but you had kicked yours and that I was trying to be more like you. How you never abandoned faith and how I looked up to you. Even when we were young I recognized your potential. That's probably why I never tried as hard as you did. I was never going to be as good as you. But that's another story. We were talking when that Scott kid came in with…well I guess it was his brother standing behind him."

"James," Booth said quietly. Brennan laid a hand on his thigh, careful not to touch his stitches.

"Yeah, James," Jared repeated. "He was just kind of standing shyly in the background while Stevens and the Scott kid talked. When they left Stevens said, 'I think that boy is holding Scott back.' I asked him why and he said because Scott had a lot of potential but his faith in God was skewing his views on war. He said God doesn't save anyone from horror. Stevens' friends died at war…all of them."

"So did mine," Booth ground out.

"I know, man," Jared said. "I know you loved Teddy and all those other guys." Booth kept his resolve. "I told him God protected you and me. He just gave me a funny look and said he'd see me tomorrow since I'd be back again. Next day after class he pulled a gun on me and drove me to the museum."

"Why the clues?" Brennan asked, breaking the silence.

"I know, right? It doesn't make sense," Jared responded. "I think he was trying to get to you, Temperance."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Jared said. "He knew you could figure out the clues, and wherever you were Seeley was. If he only got Seel, he couldn't guarantee you'd be there too."

"That still doesn't explain why he'd want me."

"He wanted you, with your rational mind, to prove to me that God wouldn't save me. That God put Jared in my life to get in my way, proving that God didn't love me," Booth said. Brennan stared at him and wanted to cry for him. She could tell he was trying not to break down.

"That's why he killed James," Jared said. "He couldn't get Scott to believe that James was in his way."

Booth and Brennan returned to the apartment after dropping Jared off at his. After a quick shower for Brennan and a careful one for Booth, they both climbed into bed. Booth was still attempting to hold it together, but he'd been trying so hard for the past week that he was exhausted. Finally giving in, he let his head hit the pillow and waited for the tears to come that would eventually lead into sleep. Unfortunately, it was the first night in bed with Brennan that Booth couldn't sleep for the life of him.


	31. Sleep Desperation

**31-Sleep Desperation**

He was sitting up, his back as straight as if someone had shoved a rod down his spine. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. Brennan was asleep on her side, and he watched her for a long time. Without her…who knows? Maybe Stevens would have shot him. At the thought of the man his stomach lurched and he quickly drew his knees up to his chest. Resting his cheek on his knees, he tried to close his eyes. He was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't let him sleep. As soon as things would start to fade away, his body would jerk and he would be awake again.

He spent the entire night awake, his stomach churning and his mind unable to turn off. He was laying down when Brennan woke, so it looked like he had slept and then woken up. Brennan propped herself up and looked in his eyes. He seemed tired. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He managed a genuine-looking smile and stroked her hair. "Never better."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You look tired." He had to laugh at her bluntness. He closed his eyes tight then opened them again. "Did you not sleep well?" It hadn't occurred to her until then that one of them would sleep poorly beside the other. It hadn't occurred to him either until it happened the night before.

"No," he answered. She looked instantly more worried. "My leg was hurting," he said.

She nodded, but was still uneasy. "Oh. Well that should dissipate soon," was all she said.

He nodded. "Wanna help me take a shower?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. She smiled and helped him into the bathroom, both peeling off their clothes before getting in the shower.

After some very erotic groping under the hot spray, Booth pulled on a t-shirt and gingerly stepped into a pair of jeans. Brennan insisted on staying home with him, but he said he was fine and that she should go back to the lab. They agreed that she would bring him lunch and would leave the lab when everyone else did.

Charlie had dropped off some paperwork for him, and he spent most of the day filling out forms and watching TV. He had to admit it was a little awkward having Charlie come to Brennan's apartment, but he covered it by saying she was helping him out for a few days and he would be returning home shortly. Brennan stopped by with lunch from the diner around one, and he was glad to have some company, especially hers. "How's your leg feeling?" she asked.

"Good," he said, his voice skewed by a mouthful of hamburger. They talked for a while about nothing in particular, and she told him she'd be home around five.

That night the pair slipped into bed, and Booth fully expected to fall right to sleep. He was going back to work tomorrow, and he needed to get some rest. Brennan was lying next to him, breathing softly. His body screamed at his mind to let him fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening, and at three AM he decided it was going to be another sleepless night.

The lack of sex was killing him too. The whole time they were looking for Jared, they had been too exhausted to even think about doing anything once they went to bed. And now they definitely couldn't for a few days because he was sure his stitches would be ripped open considering the way they clung to each other.

As the alarm sounded he groaned and reached over to shut it off. Brennan noticed that he looked tired again but didn't mention it. He drove her to the lab and came inside. He had finished all his paperwork the night before, so there wasn't anything he needed to do at the Hoover. While Brennan went down to Limbo, Booth decided he would try to take a nap on her couch, covering it by saying he was going to talk to Hodgins.

After a half hour of successfully staring at the ceiling, the office door opened. "Sweetie?" he heard.

"Hi, Angela."

Angela looked to the side and jumped. "Oh, Booth, didn't see you. Where's Bren?"

"In Limbo."

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to sleep."

"Why?" Booth slowly turned his head to look at her. "God, Booth, you look worn out."

He swallowed. "I am. Don't tell Bones, but…."

Angela went closer, worry etched across her features. "But what?"

"I haven't slept in a couple days," he said softly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I'm so tired, but my mind won't let me sleep. I don't know why, Ange. I'm so tired," he said, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Angela took Booth's hand in hers. "I know, honey. Did you try some sleeping pills?"

Booth shook his head. "I don't use them. Old sniper habit I guess."

Angela was about to suggest that she go get Brennan when the subject of her thoughts walked in. "Oh, hi, Ange," Brennan said, a little surprised. "What's going on?" Angela looked at her and bit her lip but didn't say anything. "Ange," Brennan said. Still nothing.

Booth took the initiative. "Angela, could you give Bones and me some privacy?"

Angela stood and nodded. "Of course." She quietly left the office, and Brennan knelt next to the couch.

"Booth, what's wrong?"

"I can't sleep, Bones. I want to sleep, I'm so tired, but my mind won't let me. Every time I'm about to fall asleep I jerk awake. I don't know why. Every time I lay down my stomach hurts. I just want to sleep."

His desperation made her heart break. She could see him trembling, and signaled that he should roll over so that he was on his stomach. He rolled and hugged the pillow, burying his face in it. She calmly rubbed his back as he took deep breaths. But after about a minute, his body started to shudder and he was crying. Hard. "Shh, Booth, it's OK," she whispered as she continued to rub his back.

"Bones," he sobbed into the pillow.

"What is it, Booth?" she asked gently.

"Please just let me sleep!" he screamed, his voice still muffled by the pillow. He grabbed her hand and continued to cry harder than he ever had in his life. He wasn't even sure why he was doing it. He figured it was probably the pure exhaustion he felt.

"Cam!" Brennan called.

Cam was there a moment later, sensing the urgency in Brennan's voice. "What do you need?" she asked, her concern growing deeper as she saw Booth's body shaking on the couch.

"I think I'm gonna puke," Booth said, sitting up. He didn't care if Cam saw him.

Brennan got up and whispered in Cam's ear. "He won't calm down. Can you get some Valium or something?" Cam nodded and left swiftly.

Pulling a few strings with her doctor friends, she arrived at the office with the Valium twenty minutes later. By then Booth was shaking and had vomited a few times. The only sensation he could feel in his hands was pins and needles, and it was freaking him out, which made him cry harder.

Cam filled a syringe with the Valium and squatted next to Booth. Grabbing his arm, she plunged the needle in and pushed down, releasing the medicine into his blood. "Ow, Cam, what are you doing?" Booth yelled.

"Lay down, Seeley." He refused.

"Booth," Brennan said softly. He looked at her, and he looked truly frightened. "Please lay down. I promise it will be OK. I promise." In that moment all he heard was her voice and all he saw was her eyes. He calmed for a moment and lay down, keeping his knees tucked to his chest. His breathing was turning into hiccups, and after ten minutes he was asleep. "Thank you, Cam," Brennan whispered.

"No problem," Cam whispered back. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you though. I'm just going to stay here."

"Of course," Cam said, and shut the door quietly as she left. Brennan slowly stretched Booth's legs out to make him more comfortable, then sat by his side again. She couldn't tell you where it came from, but all of a sudden she started to cry. She put her face in her hands and cried softly. She had never seen Booth lose so much control before, and it scared her. She knew they could get through anything, but she didn't even know what they were dealing with here. He hadn't told her about not getting any sleep. He probably didn't want her to worry, but now she was worried anyway. _Really_ worried.

Finally, she dried her tears and placed a blanket over Booth. Then, taking his hand, she watched him sleep.


	32. Circuitous REM

**32-Circuitous REM**

Booth woke hours later and the room was dark. He felt Brennan's hand in his, and when he looked at her she was looking behind her. He quickly closed his eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

Brennan heard his sharp intake of breath of knew that he was awake. Turning her head, she focused on his face. "Booth?" After a moment he opened one eye to look at her. She wasn't sure how to approach him. She was sure he was so emotionally fragile he would shatter again in a moment, and frankly she couldn't deal with that. "Angela brought you some soup," she said as he sat up.

"Where's my burger?" he asked playfully.

"She and I didn't think you should eat something heavy right now."

"Don't do that, Bones," he said seriously.

"Do what?"

He swallowed some of the soup. "Pity me."

"I'm not…I've never seen you like that, Booth."

"Yeah well I can handle myself, OK?" he snapped.

"OK," she said softly. She was afraid to rile him up again, so she stayed silent.

"I'm kinda tired, Bones. I'm going back to sleep." He frowned and tugged the blanket over him.

Once she was sure he was asleep, she gently brushed each of his fingers with her thumb. Her mind was working double time to figure out what could have Booth that upset, but she was never into psychology. She sighed just as a knock came on the door. "Come in," she called softly.

Cam quietly opened the door and walked into the darkened room. "He's still asleep?" she asked.

"Well, he woke up, ate the soup, then went back to sleep." Cam nodded. "Is that normal?"

"Yeah, Valium usually makes you pretty tired. Plus he hasn't slept in a while and he is emotionally spent."

There was silence for a few moments before Brennan spoke again. "Cam?" Cam looked at her. "He…snapped at me." Cam didn't seem surprised. Brennan realized that they _did_ bicker a lot, so she furthered her explanation. "He woke up, joked with me, then the next minute he was telling me not to pity him and that he could handle himself."

Cam sighed. "Look, we both know that he has a lot of issues, and he hasn't come even close to working through them. This whole thing with Jared…it's probably brought out a lot of things he's tried to bury deep inside himself. I know you don't believe in psychology, but if you think something's wrong with him…."

Brennan nodded. "Thanks, Cam."

"Any time," she said.

Brennan didn't leave the office all day. Hell, she mostly stayed on the floor sitting next to Booth. At five o'clock she woke him up. "Booth," she whispered, gently shaking his shoulder, "Booth, get up."

"No," he said.

"Booth, come on. We have to go home."

He whimpered. "I want to sleep."

"You can sleep once we get home. And you can sleep in the car."

He was so out of it he didn't even notice he was agreeing to let her drive when he put on his coat and helped her with hers. "What did you do today?" he asked her when they were in the car.

"Sat with you," she answered.

He ran a hand over his face. "I don't know why I'm so tired," he said apologetically.

"This whole situation has been emotional, Booth. You are mentally exhausted."

"Why aren't you mentally exhausted?" he asked.

"Well, I would conclude that it is because I can process faster." She looked at him and his face said he wasn't totally getting it. "You just need a little more time." He nodded as they pulled into a parking space, assuring himself he'd be all better by tomorrow.

After dinner they showered and crawled into bed. Booth pulled Brennan against him and kissed from behind her ear down to her neck. She smiled and placed a hand over Booth's, which was resting on her stomach. She thought it safe to conclude that things were finally going back to normal.

"Booth, wake up. Booth, come on."

"Why do I have to get up?" he asked groggily.

"It's time for work," she said.

"I don't wanna go," he said.

She sighed agitatedly and gripped his face in her hands. "Seeley Booth, look at me," she demanded. He opened his eyes. "Why are you acting like a child? Get up."

"No," he whined, dragging out the word.

"Fine," she snapped. "I'll drive myself to work."

Before she could step into the bathroom Booth grabbed her arm. "Bones," he said, instantly garnering her attention. "I don't know why this is happening. But I'm so tired. I…I don't know what's wrong with me." He looked scared and desperate, but she didn't know what to say. She was afraid, really, of what was happening. She decided to give it another day, and hopefully he'd be alright when she came home. He obviously wasn't going to work.

She spent the entire day worrying; even bodies in Limbo couldn't command her full attention. She called several times but he never answered. She shrugged it off and told herself he needed time to process.

Arriving home, she found him asleep on the sofa. "Booth," she said quietly as she rested a hand on his arm.

"Bones," he mumbled. "Come here." He pulled her onto the couch with him and was about to fall back asleep when Brennan protested.

"Booth, no." He opened his eyes and gave her a questioning look. "Seriously, wake up." He only buried his face in the pillow. Then she was on the phone, but he didn't hear what she was saying. All he knew was that she was gently running her nails along his back as she spoke, then dragging him into a standing position as she hung up. "Come on," she said. "We're going to see Sweets."


	33. Play Dates

**33-Play Dates**

Brennan marched into Sweets' office looking angry, dragging Booth behind her as he stumbled along. "Hi, Sweets," she huffed and she practically pushed Booth onto the couch. Booth made a light groaning noise and closed his eyes.

"Agent Booth?" Sweets started. Booth didn't even acknowledge him, let alone answer. "Dr. Brennan thinks you might need to talk about something. Is that true?"

"I don't want to talk, I want to sleep," Booth said roughly. Brennan looked like she was about to cry.

"Why do you want to sleep?" Sweets asked.

"Because I'm tired, you ever think of that?" Booth snapped.

"OK," Sweets said calmly, "how much have you slept in the last day?"

"Like…20 hours," Booth said.

"Uh-huh. And have you been out of the house?"

"Except for coming here, no," Booth answered.

"Well, people often groggy when they _do_ sleep a lot. How are you feeling now that you're out?"

"Still tired," Booth mumbled. "Look," he snapped again, "I didn't sleep at all for two days, now I've slept for a full two days. Isn't my body just…balancing itself out?"

"It's doubtful," Sweets answered.

"Could it be the sleeping drug Cam gave me?" Booth asked.

Sweets' eyes shot to Brennan. "What did you give him?"

"Valium," she answered. "It was justified," she defended.

Sweets turned back to Booth. "No, it's worn off by now." Sweets paused for a few moments. He had an idea, but he didn't want to upset Booth further. But what kind of psychiatrist would he be if he didn't get to the real issue? "Have you seen your brother?"

"Yeah. We brought him home from the hospital."

"How was he?"

"How do you _think_ he was?" Booth questioned menacingly. "He was hit in the head with a gun and strapped to a chair!"

"You're obviously upset by this," Sweets observed.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Who wouldn't be upset by this? My brother was kidnapped and almost killed! What, you think I'm gonna be fine with it?" He was standing up now and leaning forward, yet still far enough away from Sweets for the younger man to be intimidated.

"No, Agent Booth, I don't." Booth was about to verbally pounce once again when Sweets interrupted him. "What I'm trying to get at is that all this frustration and anxiety is the product of your brother's recent situation."

"Ya _think_?" Booth quipped.

"Agent Booth, please, listen." Booth slumped onto the couch and looked at Sweets. "Children often fall asleep as a way to…put their problems on hold. For example, if a child when through something tragic, the child would most likely choose to sleep if the situation became too much to handle. Occasionally adults will adopt this strategy as well." He paused, letting Booth digest.

"So you're saying," Booth started, "that I sleep as a way to deal with Jared's thing?"

"Precisely. You need to find a way to deal with this effectively."

"I thought sleeping was pretty effective," Booth mentioned. No sooner had he finished his sentence than Brennan stood up and marched out the door.

Booth stood but Sweets put his hand up. "Stay here, Agent Booth."

"I…I made her upset," Booth said.

"It's OK, Agent Booth. She isn't upset with you, she is upset with the situation."

"How do you know that?" Booth asked with cynical disbelief.

"You should…see the way she looks at you. Like, get a mirror or something and just hold it up." Booth raised his eyebrows and Sweets shook his head. "Anyway. You like to be in control, Agent Booth." Booth's eyes shot up. "You monitor Dr. Brennan, protect her. You can control what happens when you're with her. The same for these sessions. You like to set the groundwork for what we talk about; you don't like me to do it. That's why it upsets you when can't see your son when you want to," Booth's eyes narrowed, "and it's why this situation has you so distraught."

Booth was silent for a long time, and Sweets let him have that silence. He wanted so badly to get things off his chest, but he couldn't seem to find his voice for the longest time. "When," Booth finally said, then swallowed, "when we were kids…I took everything. My dad would drink, we'd never know how much, but we knew he'd hit us. I'd take it because…."

"Because you didn't know how badly he'd hurt Jared. So you took control."

"Yes, yes, okay? And when I saw Jared like that…and Stevens had a gun…I couldn't…I didn't know where he was. I'm so used to controlling him. I looked out for him. I tear my eyes away for a second and he's almost dead. How am I_ supposed_ to feel?"

"Exactly how you're feeling now, Agent Booth. But you need to deal with these feelings. You can't sleep them away." Booth nodded and Sweets leaned forward. "When my biological parents would hit me…well, I slept a lot. I missed school, missed play dates…."

Booth snorted. "Play dates," he laughed.

"I was four."

"Oh. Right." Booth had forgotten.

"The point is, I know what you're going through, and if you don't deal with this, you're going to hurt yourself and everyone who cares about you."

Booth exhaled and jiggled his leg, looking around. "Do you think Bones did it too? Slept?" he asked, stilling again and looking Sweets in the eye.

"No. I think she studied."

"Right."

"But she understands, Agent Booth. She does."

Booth hung his head. He hadn't really thought about how this affected Brennan or anyone else. He'd been so caught up in his own confusion that he hadn't sought help, let alone let them in on what he was feeling. He was so used to keeping his feelings pushed down, but he knew now that he had hurt Brennan more than anyone. He stood up and braced himself. He just hoped she was out there on the other side of the door. "Thanks, Sweets. Really."

Sweets smiled. "Any time, Agent Booth."

Booth strode purposefully to the door and pulled it open cautiously. He heard the soft sobbing before he saw her, and he was almost instantly at her side. He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Bones, please, please," he pleaded softly. He let her hair cascade around his face as he let out tears of his own. "I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Bones," he said, pulling back to look into her eyes. She held his gaze and sniffled. "Sweets, he…he helped me realize that I shouldn't have done what I did."

"Booth," she said, stopping his apology. "You were grieving, processing. I wasn't mad or upset at you. I just didn't want to see you hurt."

"Yeah, and I ended up hurting you," he said, trying to joke.

"You could never hurt me," Brennan said softly, stroking his cheek with one hand. He buried his face in her neck and pulled her up so they were both standing. "Come on, Booth," she said. "Take me home." They smiled and Booth put his arm around her shoulders.

"Any time." Once they were out the doors, he turned his head to place a firm kiss on her temple. She turned to face him and, taking his face in her hands, forcefully pushed her tongue in his mouth as she kissed him hungrily on the lips.

Booth's hands were so busy roaming Brennan's bottom he didn't realize he forgot to unlock the car. That is until they bumped into the passenger door of the SUV and he tried desperately to pull it open to get them both inside. She laughed and he smiled against her lips, the first real smile he'd smiled in days.


	34. Tell Me What You Want, What You Really

**34-Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want**

Booth had seemingly found a new energy. He was aching to reassert himself and show Brennan he was OK. When he finally parked the car he jumped out and ran to open Brennan's door. This she expected, but what she did not expect was Booth pulling her out of the car and pushing his body against hers. Before she knew what was happening he was devouring her with fiery kisses. She was lost in the moment, but when she felt him lightly grinding against her, she forced herself to pull back. "Booth, at least wait until we get inside," she said breathlessly.

Pulling her hurriedly into the building, he jabbed the elevator button and they scrambled inside when the doors opened. On their way up, his shirt was fisted in her hands and he was feeling the skin under her shirt on his palms.

Hurrying out of the doors, Brennan shoved her key into the lock as Booth bounced impatiently behind her. They finally made it inside and were so eager to get naked that Booth was sure there were some clothes in the hallway. With Brennan down to nothing and him down to just his boxers, Booth was sure they weren't even going to get _close_ to the bedroom. He was right; they made it two steps down the hall before Booth found himself completely naked. He had Brennan lifted into his arms and her back to the wall in a fraction of a second.

Her hands were around his neck and her legs were around his waist. He was touching every inch of her skin with his lips, and in response she had tightened her grip on his waist until it was almost painful for both of them. His strong tongue licked its way from her bellybutton to her neck, leaving her whimpering.

She was more than ready for him to do her roughly against the wall, but for all their mutual arousal he was certainly taking a while on the foreplay. He was again grinding himself against her and she couldn't take it. "Booth," she moaned, "hurry up."

He chuckled at her urgency, but truth be told he could barely hold on any longer either. Her hands and nails had been roaming his back, causing him to moan every time he exhaled. "I'm gonna make you lose control," he murmured in her ear. "But right before you do, you're gonna scream my name." She cried out in anticipation, so with a hard to kiss to her lips he finally joined them, amazed that he hadn't combusted from the earlier lack of…contact.

She grabbed a fistful of his hair as he pushed and pulled. She knew from the beginning he would have all the say in this one. He was so determined to prove to her that he was still the fully capable Seeley Booth as he always had been that he had completely taken all the control and never looked back. Normally, Brennan would want to be in control, and with Booth she wanted to give as much as she took, but this time she knew it was pointless. Well, that and the fact that she thoroughly enjoyed Booth roughly thrusting them back and forth. "God, Booth, I want you so bad," she moaned.

There was no way Booth was holding back tonight. He was shoving himself so roughly into her that he was almost afraid to hurt her by shoving her into the wall. He linked his fingers and tucked his hands behind her back, holding her out from the wall. "Booth, you don't have to," she panted.

He grunted and exhaled through his nose. "I don't want your back to get hurt."

"It won't," she protested. "Please," she moaned, dragging out the word.

With a growl he pushed her against the wall and increased his pace. They were both panting, Booth from the effort and Brennan from the pleasure. She could feel herself beginning to spasm, and she bent forward so she was whispering in his ear. "I love you, Booth. I love you so much and I love the way you make me feel." He was whimpering and thrusting harder, which encouraged her to keep going. "No one else has ever made me feel this way, and no one else ever will."

"Oh my God, Bones, I wanna screw you until you moan in ecstasy."

"Faster, Booth, harder," she begged, and he complied without hesitation. "Please, Booth, give me what I want."

Booth knew if he didn't slow down at least a little bit he'd be out for the count long before she even started counting. Gradually he decreased his rhythm, drawing a confused look from Brennan. "What is it that you want, Bones?" he asked smugly, his twinkling eyes meeting her foggy ones.

It took her a second to realize what he was doing, but when she did she almost cried in agony. "You know what I want, Booth." He had almost stopped, the only motion the undulating of his hips as he involuntarily jerked into her.

"No," he said, pretending to think, "I don't think I do. I think you're gonna have to tell me," he finished, looking into her eyes.

Suddenly Brennan knew exactly what to say. "I want you to make me lost control. But right before that, I want you to make me scream your name."

Booth's eyes widened and he immediately sped up, forcing himself into her harder and faster. He was desperate to please her, and his head rested on her shoulder and his eyes closed as he repeatedly pushed himself up on tiptoe with every forward motion, so much so that his entire body was jerking back and forth.

He felt her muscles creating a tightness around him, and he moaned as her nails once again dug into the skin of his back. "Booth. Ah, Booth," she moaned.

He raised his head to look her in the eye. "Come on, Bones." She whimpered. "Scream my name."

With one more powerful thrust he had her shouting. "Booth!" she screamed before she loosely wrapped around him. Knowing she was finally satisfied, he let go of his restraint and let a tidal wave of satisfaction pound him. The only sound he could hear was the pumping of his own blood throughout his body, and everything he saw was swimming before his eyes. He tried to hold them both up, but his knees were shaking so badly that he slid them both to the floor, reclining until he was flat on his back and she was lying on top of him.

Booth reached behind his head and pulled a blanket from the couch, wrapping it over Brennan's back. He leaned forward slightly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm exhausted," she said as she tangled her legs with his.

"Sleep," he said as he quickly tapped his fingers along her back.

"It'll hurt your back," she argued.

"I'll carry you to bed as soon as you fall asleep. So come on, before my back hurts," he joked.

She laughed and settled her head on his chest, letting his body be her mattress and his heartbeat be her lullaby.**  
**


	35. Sleeping Saintly

**35-Sleeping Saintly**

Booth heard Brennan's breathing slow and felt her body relax. Carefully, he began standing up, kissing Brennan's head softly as he went. "Come on, Bones, help me out a little here," he mumbled to himself as he hiked her legs up around his waist again.

He carried her with relative ease, but once he got to the bed he faced a dilemma: he wanted to put them both to bed without waking her, but he didn't want to let go of her. Carefully, he sat on the side of the bed while holding her, then swung his legs over. Unfortunately, as he did so he bent one knee and hit her in the back. "Ow," she said, opening her eyes. Her head was resting on Booth's bare shoulder and she raised it to look at him.

"Sorry, Bones," he softly. "Go back to sleep."

"What are you doing?" she asked, noticing how she was wrapped around him.

Booth blushed. "I wanted to put you to bed but I didn't want to let go of you."

If Brennan's heart could literally melt it would have done so right then and there. She kissed him softly on the lips and nuzzled his neck. "Don't ever let go, Booth."

"I won't," he whispered as he eased them down onto the mattress and they fell asleep.

Booth was making pancakes when his cell phone rang. Brennan was still asleep, and truth be told he wished he had stayed asleep a little longer; he could still barely stand up. "Booth," he answered, adjusting the heat on the stove.

"Hey man, it's Hodgins."

"Hey dude," Booth responded as he flipped pancakes.

"So, I was wondering if you and Dr. B would like to join us for a little Super Bowl shindig? That is, if you're feeling alright." Hodgins and Wendell inevitably found out about Booth's sleeping problem, and were instantly concerned.

"I'm fine, Hodgins, thanks," Booth said sincerely. "And yeah, we'd love to come over."

"Great, man. 5:45 OK?" Hodgins asked.

"Yep, sounds good," Booth answered. "See you later."

"See ya."

Minutes later Brennan emerged from the bedroom, lured by the smell of chocolate chip pancakes. "Booth, do you realize how unhealthy that is?" she asked, coming to stand beside him.

"Come on, Bones, it's-oh, God," he finished. She was dressed in short shorts and his t-shirt and she couldn't have looked sexier to him if she tried.

"What is it, Booth?" she asked.

"You…" he started, then swallowed. Relinquishing the pan of his tightened grip, he marched over to her and immediately started kissing her. His hands went under her shirt seemingly of their own accord, and her hand was down his pants in an instant. He groaned as he felt her hand on him, and he was moving her backwards towards the bedroom when he heard a popping noise.

Brennan glanced over his shoulder and looked on with shock. "Booth!" she yelled.

"What?" he yelled back.

"The pancakes are about to catch on fire."

Booth whipped around and saw the batter bubbling. "Oh, crap!" He moved the pan off the heat and quickly slid the pancakes onto the plate. "I think they're alright," he said, taking a deep breath.

"Thank God," Brennan said sarcastically, giggling when Booth glared good naturedly at her.

"Hodgins invited us over for the Super Bowl," Booth said as they sat down.

"He invited _you_ over for the Super Bowl," she corrected. "He invited me over so I could keep Angela company."

"Aw, come on, Bones. I'll kiss you every time Marques Colston catches a pass."

"Does he catch a lot of passes?"

Booth leaned forward with the grin he used only on her. "You know it," he said quietly.

"Actually I didn't know it," she said smartly, leaning forward as well. "But now I do," she said, tapping him on the nose.

After eating breakfast, showering, spending some more time in the bedroom (which necessitated another showering), and finally getting dressed, they headed off to Hodgins' for the big game.

"Hey, Booth! Hey, Dr. B!" Hodgins said excitedly as he swung open the door to the giant house. Booth and Brennan entered and Booth immediately ran like a child to the giant television and the plates overflowing with wings, ham, meatballs, and all kinds of side dishes. He flung himself on the couch and landed with a thump next to Wendell, bouncing up and down on the plush material. Wendell was eating potato chips and dip and watching some pre-game coverage while Hodgins made drinks.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go talk," Angela suggested. She led Brennan into one of the guest rooms and they plopped down on the bed. "So, how's Studly feeling?" she asked.

"Better, Ange, thanks."

"So," Angela started, dragging out the word.

Brennan shook her head and slightly smiled. "What?"

"Booth stayed with you. Stayed. With you," she emphasized.

"Yes, he stayed with me," Brennan said. "Why are you surprised?"

"Oh, I'm not," Angela said, smiling. "I'm definitely not."

"Angela," Brennan started, "are you implying that Booth and I slept together?"

"Oh my God did you?"

"Angela, no!" She couldn't reveal her and Booth's secret to her best friend just yet.

Angela studied her friend carefully. "OK…" she finally said.

"Guys, the game's starting!" they heard Wendell call excitedly from the living room. The girls smiled and joined the guys on the long couch.

As the Saints received the kick off and Drew Brees lined up in the pocket, Booth leaned over to rumble in Brennan's ear once again. "Remember what I said, Bones."

She looked at him curiously, wondering whether he was serious, but Booth's attention was focused on the game and its developing plays.

At halftime the guys could see the girls starting to get tired. "Bones," Booth whispered. "Don't fall asleep on me now. Colston caught a few passes." He wasn't sure why he was going along with his plan, considering kissing her would mean everyone finding out about the two of them, and right now they were content with just Hodgins knowing.

"Yeah, well, he dropped one," Brennan remarked playfully, breaking Booth's thoughts. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

The sheer amount of food and drink had taken its toll on all of them: Wendell was sleeping in a recliner, and Brennan and Angela lay curled on the couch while Booth and Hodgins had rolled to the floor. Hours later Angela woke up and pushed herself off of Brennan. Her eyes roamed around the room, slowly adjusting to the darkness. Eventually, her eyes landed on the pair sleeping on the floor. Booth's cheek was resting on Hodgins' chest, and Hodgins' hand was on Booth's back. Angela had to stifle a laugh as she watched the two men sleeping peacefully on the floor. Carefully, she woke up Brennan. "Bren," she whispered. "Bren!" she called again.

"What?" Brennan mumbled sleepily.

"Look," she said, pointing. Brennan covered her mouth as a giggle threatened to escape. Angela hustled over to Wendell and shook his shoulder gently. "Wendell," she whispered.

"Mmm," Wendell groaned.

"Wendell, honey, wake up," she coaxed.

"Angela, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Look," she said, and Wendell almost laughed out loud.

"Should we tell them?" he asked.

Brennan and Angela pretended to think. "No," the both said simultaneously, laughing just a little too loudly.

"Mmm," Booth groaned, propping himself and rubbing his eyes. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking in the direction of the laughter. No one could answer. He looked down and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Oh, Jesus!" he exclaimed, which just made everyone laugh harder.

"What's going on?" Hodgins asked, annoyed that he had been woken up. His eyes fixed on Booth over him. "Dude, what are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" Booth asked.

"Oh, dude, this is so wrong," Hodgins lamented. They quickly scrambled into a standing position to the howling laughter of the other three.

Booth strolled over to Brennan until there was just about no space between them. "Oh, so you think this is funny?" he rumbled. She instantly stilled, but said nothing. "Do you, Bones?" he asked again.

She swallowed. "No."

Hodgins was trying to look away while Wendell stared on in acquired amusement. Angela was fanning herself when she caught Hodgins' eye. "Hodgie, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked, walking over to him.

"Sure, Ange," he said, trying to play it cool.

"You know something," she said firmly once they were in the kitchen.

"Ange, I know lots of things-."

"Don't," she cut in. "Jack, you will answer me. What do you know about Booth and Bren?"

"I, um…."

"_Hodgins_," Angela warned again.

"Ange, what's going on?" Brennan asked as she stood at the threshold of the kitchen.

"Everything OK?" Booth asked. Even Wendell couldn't deny his interest, standing a little bit behind Booth and trying to look over the older man's shoulder.

"Hodgins knows something and he won't tell me," Angela complained.

"Maybe he's not ready to tell you," Booth provided.

"Yes!" Hodgins jumped on the excuse.

"Oh no, this is not that easy," Angela said. "Hodgins knows something about Booth and Bren and I wanna know what it is!" she whined. Hodgins groaned and smacked his forehead, resting his head in his palm.

"Hodgins," Booth warned, "don't you dare."

"Aha!" Angela yelled in triumph. "So there is something. I knew it."

"There isn't anything," Brennan said.

"Oh, sweetie," Angela said with mock sympathy. "You're such a bad liar." Brennan stiffened in offense and crossed her arms, adopting a stern glare. "Hodgins," Angela snapped.

"Um…."

"Don't" Booth said, taking a step forward.

But Hodgins was more afraid of Angela than he was of Booth. "Look, Booth, she's gonna find out anyway."

"She hasn't so far."

Hodgins continued as if Booth never interrupted him. "And it doesn't make sense for her not to know." Wendell wanted to be included but he thought it best to remain silent.

There was a silence as Hodgins and Booth stared at each other, neither backing down. "Booth," Brennan finally said, touching his wrist lightly. He looked at her. "It's OK."

"No, Bones, it's not," he said.

"Oh for God's sake!" Angela cried out. "What's the hold up?"

Brennan decided to just get it over with. "Booth and I are…well we…."

"Bones," Booth warned.

"Booth and Dr. B are in a relationship!" Hodgins yelled, jumping over to clamp a hand over Angela's mouth.

"You are?" Angela asked after being released. Booth and Brennan nodded. "Well then kiss!" she suggested. Booth leaned down and kissed Brennan softly.

"Whew," Hodgins said after much giggling by Angela. "That's a load off my back."

"Oh you're not off the hook yet," Booth said menacingly.

Hodgins' face fell. "Would spending the night in the best guest room help?" he asked.

"Yeah," Booth said, "I guess that would be a start."


	36. Ice, Ice, Baby

**36-Ice, Ice, Baby**

Booth woke up with his arm slung around Brennan's waist. The bed in the guest room was unbelievably comfortable, and Booth never wanted to get up. He started to wonder what it would be like to make love to Brennan in that bed, but he stopped himself. Instead, he got up and looked out the window. "Booth," Brennan called softly, having woken up to find the bed empty.

Booth walked over and lifted Brennan into his arms, carrying her to the window. She squirmed and laughed, enjoying being lifted up by Booth. It always made her feel safe. When he rescued her from the Gravedigger, he pulled her into his arms. When their cab crashed, he pulled her into his arms. When she saw what she thought might have been Russ' blood on her floor, he pulled her into his arms. When she confronted her mother's killer, he pulled her into his arms. And when her dad's trial was over, he pulled her into his arms. "It's really snowing out there," Booth remarked.

Brennan sighed her agreement as she followed his gaze out the window. "Booth," she said, suddenly excited and shaking his shoulder.

"What is it, Bones?" he asked.

"The Reflecting Pool…it's frozen!"

"Yeah, Bones, that's what happens when it gets cold," Booth said, puzzled by her reaction.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "No, Booth," she said. "Could we…I mean…." She was hesitating.

Booth hiked her up a little more around his waist. "What, Bones?" he asked, bringing his face close to hers and talking softly against her hair.

"Could we ice skate?" she asked.

Booth pulled back. "Bones," he exclaimed, "that's a great idea! Just you and me or everyone?"

"Eh, I guess they can come too," Brennan said, pretending to be indifferent.

Everyone else thought the idea was great too, so after bundling up everyone headed over to the Washington Monument. Angela skated gracefully across the ice while Wendell went slowly with Hodgins, who was constantly on the verge of falling. "You see, Bones, you have to tie your skates up tight, but not too tight, or else you'll get skate bite," Booth said. Brennan was sitting on the ground with her legs out as Booth crouched in front of her and tied up her skates.

"Did you ever get skate bite?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah, it hurts like hell. Nasty stuff. Come on," he said, pulling her up, "let's go."

Brennan was unsteady on skates, but Booth had previously promised her that he'd never let her fall. He skated behind her as he held her around the waist. "Relax, Bones," he said. "Lean forward a little more." He pressed his hips into her a little more.

"Booth!"

"Come on, Bones," he joked. "You know I can't resist," he mumbled in her ear. "Now bend your knees," he advised. She did so and found it easier to keep her balance. Slowly, Booth let Brennan go and watched her glide along the ice.

"You know," Brennan started, looking back to talk to Booth, then realizing he wasn't there. "Booth!" she screamed and started flailing her arms.

"Keep your balance, Bones!" Booth called from across the ice.

_Breath, Temperance_, she told herself. She held her arms out and straightened her back. She screamed in delight as she glided across the ice. "Booth!" she called happily.

He skated quickly over to her and grasped her hands. "I think you're ready to skate backwards," he said. He turned them both and grabbed her hand in his, propelling them both backwards.

"Booth, don't let go," she said while laughing. Booth chuckled and twirled them around.

"Hey, sweetie," Angela said as she skated next to them, also turning backwards.

"Ange, I had no idea you knew how to ice skate so well," Booth commented as they drifted along.

"Yeah, I did competitions for a few years when I was a kid." Booth was surprised, but not _that_ surprised. Ice skating seemed like a great fit for Angela. So did everything else. She was so free and talented that he didn't have a hard time believing anything she told him about her childhood. "Come on, sweetie, skate with me," she said to Brennan, holding out her hand. "That is, if you don't mind, Studly."

Booth smiled. "Of course not, Ange."

"So," Angela started when she and Brennan were alone, "you and Booth." Brennan nodded. "_Finally_! God, I can't tell you how good this makes me feel."

Brennan chuckled. "Ange, you can't seriously have _that_ much emotion invested in our relationship."

"Oh, but I do. Oh, God, what are they doing now?" Angela asked. Brennan followed her friend's gaze to see Booth and Wendell standing face to face, fists up, both talking to Hodgins. They began to throw simulated punches, which turned into playful tackling, which turned into a wrestling match. "Ugh, boys are so weird," Angela said.

"Yeah, us girls are way more sophisticated," Brennan said before she and Angela started to wrestle each other.


	37. Let's Get Physical

**37-Let's Get Physical**

Despite it being about zero degrees out, Brennan was hot. They had been skating for a few hours, and Booth had been touching her almost the entire time. She and Angela had been wrestling when Wendell dragged them both apart and pointed to Booth, who had Hodgins pinned to the ice and Hodgins' hood over his face. Hodgins was flailing and shouting for Booth to let him go. Angela skated up to the pair quietly and looked down. "I see we're continuing this lovely bromance," she said.

The men stopped and Booth looked down, realizing what it looked like with him on top of Hodgins. He quickly jumped off and helped Hodgins up. Brennan skated over and wrapped herself in Booth's jacket. "Cold?" he asked. She nodded as her teeth chattered. "I think I know a way to warm you up," he mumbled.

Wendell's eyes widened. "Oh, God," Angela said. Booth and Brennan looked at her. "I'm happy for you guys, really, but this," she said, waving her finger at them, "cannot happen in front of me."

Booth laughed. "Sure, Ange. Sorry."

"I forgive you, Studly."

"I'm gonna head out," Wendell said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, us too," Hodgins said, taking Angela's hand.

Booth nodded and they all walked over and took their skates off in the snow. The snow was up to Brennan's knees, and she and Booth took comically giant steps to get to the SUV. Warming the car up, Booth started the engine and left Hodgins' driveway, heading towards Brennan's apartment. Brennan took one of his hands in hers and fell asleep with her head on his shoulder.

Upon arriving at the apartment, Booth kissed Brennan softly on the forehead. "Bones, we're home," he said against her skin. He loved saying that-_we're home_. It felt so right. Brennan stirred and climbed tiredly out of the car.

Unlocking the door, they both plopped down on the couch and Booth turned on the TV, scrolling through the guide until he found the Flyers game. Four seconds in there was a fight. "Who's that?" Brennan asked, pointing at the screen.

"I don't know who the tall freak from Montreal is," Booth said, "but that's Ian Laperriere. He blocked a shot with his face and lost a bunch of his teeth."

"Why did he block a shot with face?"

"Well it's not like he wanted it to hit his face on purpose. I mean, he was thinking about the play first, himself second, you know?"

Brennan nodded. She saw Laperriere knock the other player down and saw Booth pump his fist in excitement out of the corner of her eye. "I can see why you like this sport so much, Booth," she said.

"You can?" he asked. She nodded. "Why do I like this sport so much, Bones?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, hockey is obviously a sport for the aggressive. Physical prowess is a deciding factor in many encounters. You have physical prowess, which you've displayed in various hockey games." Booth ran through a series of fights in his mind, not missing the fight with Pete Carlson the day he saw Luc Robitaille. "It's also a game of teamwork. For example, the man you pointed out blocked a shot with his face because he put his teammates' interest before his own. It's very admirable," she added.

"Are you saying I'm admirable, Bones?" Booth asked playfully.

"In a way," she answered with a smirk. They finished watching the game in relative silence. Well, except for the six cheers Booth let out for the six goals the Flyers scored, and the various verbal thrashings of the referees. They were on their way to bed when Booth's phone rang,

"Booth. Oh." _Sweets_, he mouthed to Brennan. "Uh-huh," he said into the phone. "Uh-huh." He rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue, much to Brennan's delight. "Nine AM. Yep. Bye." He hung up and made a face. "Sweets wants to meet with us tomorrow morning," he explained.

"What about?" Brennan asked, pulling a t-shirt over her head.

Booth sighed. "He didn't say. He just said not to worry, although I think I'm going to."

"Why?" she asked as she rested her head on his chest.

"I don't know, Bones. It's hard to explain. I just feel like…why would he meet with us about nothing? I mean, we don't have a case…."

"Do you think it's about Jared?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Although I don't see what there is to talk about."

"Booth, Sweets basically said you have control issues. He's going to see something to talk about."

Booth groaned, making Brennan laugh. Soon after they both fell asleep, Booth's dreams tossing him scenarios he dreaded.

The next day they were inside Sweets' office at 9:15. "You're late," Sweets observed.

"Had a little trouble getting out of bed," Brennan said, purposely leaving an article out of her sentence. Booth blushed anyway, but his back was turned so Sweets didn't see it.

"So what's up, Sweets? I have paperwork," Booth said.

"Agent Booth, you've never been eager to get to paperwork. Don't make excuses."

"Oh, a little snippy today, are we, Sweets? What happened, did someone take your favorite toy from the sandbox?"

Sweets grimaced. "How's Jared?"

Booth stiffened a little. "I don't know."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Not really."

"Do you remember our last conversation?"

"I try not to remember any of our conversations."

Sweets smiled. "Well-."

"Bones says you said that I have control issues."

"You talked about our session?"

"Yes. Bones and I talk about everything."

"Dr. Brennan, is this true?"

Brennan looked up. "That Booth and I talk about everything? Yes."

"No, that you said that I said that Booth has control issues."

"Basically."

"Basically?" Sweets asked, intrigued that she didn't say yes or no.

Brennan sighed. "What I believe you said was, 'You like to be in control, Agent Booth.'" She raised an eyebrow, challenging Sweets to disagree.

Sweets was confused. "How did you know that's what I said?"

"Like I said, Sweets, Bones and I talk about everything," Booth answered.

Sweets scribbled on a piece of paper. "Good, then I feel pretty confident in saying that you will be comfortable with Dr. Brennan here for this."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. That's up to you." He paused, but the pair said nothing. "We're going to continue our discussion from last session."

"What is there to continue?" Booth asked.

"Well, have you found a way to effectively deal with your stress?"

"Oh yeah, I found a great way," Booth said with a smirk.

"Do you mind if I ask what that way is?"

"Yes."

"Well, even if you have found a way to deal with your stress, I still think you need to talk to your brother."

"Why?" Booth asked in exasperation.

"Because you and Jared have been through a troubled past together, and this case has called into question some very core beliefs in your life, Agent Booth."

"What? What am I questioning? That if I didn't get there when I did, who knows what would have happened? That if Bones didn't come and help it might have been different? What would my life be like without Jared? Yes. But those are questions in every case. There are always what ifs, Sweets. It's just part of life."

Sweets took a deep breath and settled further back into his chair. "You are right in that what ifs are a part of life, but the same questions don't pertain to every case. When you and Dr. Brennan encounter a body, it is sad that the person has died. But, it's not the same as losing someone in your own family. Emotionally, it is much different."

"What about when we found my mom?" Brennan asked, speaking for the first time in a long time.

"Excuse me?" Sweets asked.

"When we were asked to identify the remains of my mother. Then I don't think it was much of a difference," she said. Booth looked at her but he knew she could handle it.

"That's a different story," Sweets said.

"Why?" she asked.

_Geez, they're just full of questions today_, Sweets thought to himself. "Because your ability to compartmentalize is extraordinary, and your personality and situation is and was different from Agent Booth's." The partners were silent. "Now, we went over the basics of your control last time, but I think we should look deeper." Booth raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about your father."

"I already did," Booth said, and Brennan could feel his tension.

"I know, but in order to help you-."

"You can't help me!" he screamed.

Sweets put out his hand to stop Booth's rant. "Agent Booth, if I may say so, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Would you say that you tried to control your situation at that point in your life by taking all your father's abuse for yourself?"

"Jesus, Sweets, shut up."

"Bones!" Booth exclaimed, surprised at what had just come out of her mouth.

"Please, both of you, sit down. Just answer the question, Agent Booth."

"Yes. I took all my old man's abuse because I didn't want my mom or my little brother getting hurt like I knew they could."

"But how could you know the extent to which your father would abuse you?" Sweets asked.

"Because when he came home drunk _every night_, it got real easy to tell what was going to happen real fast."

"What did he hit you with?"

Booth looked at Sweets like the younger man was stupid. "His fists," he said.

"But one time he didn't, did he?"

"Didn't what?" Brennan asked, but her question went unanswered for the moment.

"No," Booth said quietly.

"Show me," Sweets said softly. Booth was chewing the inside of his lip furiously. "It's OK, Agent Booth." Booth turned and took off his jacket. He then pulled his shirt from his pants and lifted it up slightly to reveal an angry, bracket-shaped mark. Sweets winced as he saw it.

"I told everyone it was from the war," was all Booth said.


	38. Buckle Up

**38-Buckle Up**

"I'm sorry I lied, Bones. You know I would never, _never_, lie to you. But….One day he came home really drunk. My mom had given him this real nice belt for Christmas, and he was wearin' it that day. It was three days after Christmas. He came home drunk and the regular routine started." The whole time Booth was talking he was staring directly into Brennan's eyes. He seemed to forget that Sweets was in the room at all. He was facing her now, but he still held his shirt away from the scar. "We were in the bathroom, just me and him. I pushed Jared into the closet. The door was locked. He was hittin' me hard as usual, but then I heard footsteps. In my head I started freakin' out. My mom was gonna come upstairs and he was gonna hit her. That was what I thought, anyway."

Brennan had never heard that much about Booth's past before. She wasn't even sure she had ever heard a full story. Despite the gravity of the situation being described, she couldn't fail to notice Booth's accent shift considerably when talking about his home. Sure, he had told her that his dad was a barber and his mom wrote jingles for ad agencies, but she had never heard the thick, husky, Philadelphia accent she heard now.

"So my mom knocks on the door just loud enough to get his attention. He growls and says, 'What?' My mom says, 'Why don't you stop before you mess up your new belt? I know how much you like it.' Well that was that."

"He stopped?" she asked, feeling like she needed to speak to remind him that she was there with him.

"No, of course not. He grinned, slipped off the belt, and beat me raw with the buckle," he said as if it were simple. "It became his new favorite. And always the same spot. Hence the scar."

Sweets was frozen in place, afraid if he moved he would break some kind of invisible force hanging over all of them, and everything Booth said would be washed away with it.

"Sorry I told you differently."

"Booth, I-."

"It's OK, Bones. You don't need to say anything. My dad was a mean son of a bitch and I knew I didn't deserve what I was getting."

"No," she started, "I mean….I mean I knew it wasn't from the war."

"You did?" He had been subconsciously rubbing his hand over the scar, but stopped.

She nodded. "I…I knew that kind of wound wouldn't be caused by anything you encountered."

"You knew it was a belt," he said quietly.

She nodded again and tears were in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He reached her in one big stride and wrapped her in a hug. "It's OK, Bones, shhh. It's OK," he soothed as she cried.

She quickly composed herself and they both sat on the couch. Booth was hunched over with his arm around Brennan's shoulders and his head was turned sideways to look at her. His other hand rested lightly on her thigh and her hand was loosely holding his. She smiled a teary smile at him and he smiled back. _Geez, how do these two not see it?_ Sweets thought before clearing his throat. Booth glared but Brennan said nothing, just looked on almost as if nothing had happened. "May I say something?" Sweets ventured.

"Can't really stop ya," Booth mumbled.

"I think that at least part of why you always put your hand on Dr. Brennan's lower back is because of that scar." The pair didn't say anything. "That experience was very horrific for you, Agent Booth. It caused a pain you had never felt before, both emotionally and physically. By resting your hand on the same spot on Dr. Brennan's back, you are protecting her from the horror you faced."

"Maybe I just wanna grab Bones' ass, have you ever thought of that?"

Sweets smiled. "I don't think that's the real reason, or you wouldn't have said it out loud."

"Are you saying I should stop doing it?"

"No. I'm not going to tell you to change any of your habits, Agent Booth. I'm just telling you what I see so that you can deal with these issues. I'm not saying don't be protective. If you weren't, things would be very different. You are an admirable man, Agent Booth. Do not think I condemn you for being, as Dr. Brennan puts it, an 'alpha male.'"

"You know that I don't need protection, Sweets," Brennan said.

Sweets smiled again. "I know, Dr. Brennan."

"What do you mean, you know?" Booth asked incredulously. "If I wasn't looking out for her, who knows where she'd be right now? You need me, Bones," he said as he looked at her.

"I do not need you, Booth."

"Yes you do."

"No I do not."

"Then why do keep me around, huh?"

"Because it's nice to have you around."

"It's nice to have me around?" The partners could be heard bickering all the way down the hall as they walked towards the elevator, Booth's hand on Brennan's back.

That night, Brennan was reading when Booth came out of the bedroom without a shirt. "Hi," Brennan said softly, gazing up at him with a smile and total appreciation. Booth said nothing, just grabbed her hand and stood her up. He turned so his back was to her and placed her hand over the scar. She began to trace it and he closed his eyes tight and sucked in a breath.

She withdrew her hand. "Did that hurt?" she asked worriedly. He shook his head no and placed her hand on his back again. She examined the scar and touched it gently. She loved every bit of him, every bump and bruise and every scar, temporary or permanent. She touched the scar like she touched every other part of him, with reverence and adoration.

She bent down and softly kissed the spot. Feeling him shudder, she wrapped her arms around his waist. A few silent tears rolled down his cheeks, and she knew he was overwhelmed with emotion. He placed his hands over hers on his stomach and took a deep breath. He turned and she handed him a t-shirt, which he slipped over his head and pulled down.

His eyes told her everything. He didn't much feel like talking, but his eyes were saying it all. He thanked her for being there for him. He told her he loved her more than his own life. He told her she'd helped him be the man he was today, and without her he'd be nothing. And he said it all without ever opening his mouth.


	39. Civil War

**39-Civil War**

"Bones, I, um….I'm gonna go to Jared's today," Booth said as he stood in the kitchen tucking in his shirt.

She looked at him. "Do you need…?" she trailed off.

"No, Bones, thanks," he said softly. "But a kiss might help." She laughed and kissed him. Pulling away, she could tell he was nervous. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Booth softly stroked her hair, reveling in the feeling of holding her close. "I'll be back later," he said softly, kissing the top of her head. She nodded and he was out the door.

Booth approached the door and heard loud music playing. Well, it was loud to him considering his ears could hear a bass playing three miles away. "Jared!" he called, knocking loudly. _I swear to God if he's having sex I'm gonna_-, he thought, but was cut off by Jared answering the door, fully dressed, sandwich in hand.

"Seeley," he said indifferently.

"Can I come in?" Booth asked. Jared just nodded and Booth moved past him into the living room. "How are you feeling?" Booth asked.

"Fine," Jared said blandly, barely making eye contact.

"Why do you always do this?" Booth asked.

"Do what?"

"Come on, Jared. You could at least _try_ to act like you care."

"Ha!" Jared laughed. "Well look who's talking. You've never been more than civil to me."

"I saved your life!" Booth yelled.

"Once!" Jared yelled, and Booth had a vivid flashback. He was standing naked in his bathtub while Brennan stood in the doorway, raising her voice. _I took a bullet for you!_ he yelled.

_Once! That only goes so far!_ she screamed back.

He had been astonished, too surprised to speak. But not this time. "Every time, Jared! I saved you."

"Dad wouldn't have killed me."

"What the fuck is your problem? You were what, four?"

"Don't act like the bigger man, Seeley."

"I _am_ the bigger man!"

"Goddammit, Seeley, shut up!" Booth stopped. "This is your problem. You _always_ have to be the best. You always have to be in control."

"I had to be when no one else was doing a goddamn thing."

"Mom tried her best. And like you said, bro, I was what, four?" Jared jeered.

Booth was trying hard not to knock his brother's lights out again. "Fine, that's the past and we can't change it," Booth conceded. "I haven't really tried to work through my past. I came here to talk."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Jared, we've been through a lot together," Booth said, stepping closer to his brother. He laid a hand on Jared's shoulder, and when he didn't move away Booth was encouraged. "Please. Talk to me." Jared turned to him with sad eyes, and Booth knew it was time to face his past.

Booth had eaten a sandwich and they had both drank a beer. Jared was lying on his back on the floor and Booth was sitting on the couch, looking down at his brother. "I mean, you just took it upon yourself," Jared said. He turned his eyes to his older brother. "You never gave me a chance."

"Jared, I wasn't going to give you that chance. I couldn't let you take the heat and live with myself at the same time."

"Yeah, well, you almost didn't live with yourself anyway." Booth glared. "Sorry." Booth sighed. "Then you went in the Army and did all this stuff that made you a hero. It was like geez, could he get any better? Turns out you could."

Booth's voice came out gravelly. "What I did doesn't make me a hero."

Jared looked at him sideways. "Seeley," he sighed. "I know you feel bad, but you had no control." Booth winced. "That's part of why you hate it, isn't it? You couldn't say no." Booth sighed again. "You still can't."

"What?"

"Come on, man. Tempe's got you wrapped around her so tight you can't breathe without her approval."

"Actually, it's her who's wrapped around me. And the only reason I can't breathe is because she screws my brains out and then screams my name," Booth said condescendingly.

Jared felt his anger rising. "All I'm trying to say is that you need to let things go. You know, for your own health." Booth said nothing, staring around the room. "You know, live a little."

"I live just fine, thank you."

"Seeley, all you do is work. You're so…intense."

"I have to be, Jared!" Booth said in a raised voice, pointing to himself with bent fingers. "What if I had decided to be lazy while Bones and Hodgins sat dying in a buried car? What if I had decided to be lazy when I was begging for a warrant from a plane about to land in China? What if I had been lazy when I was trying to find _you_?"

Jared's face twisted in annoyance. He had been bested by his older brother again. "Fine, Seeley. As always, you win."

"Oh come on, Jared, don't be jealous."

"Oh, don't try to placate me. Just get out."

"Jared, come on, I'm trying to help us both."

"Seeley, you only think you help. Why don't you just sit back and let others do what's best once in a while?"

Booth shook his head and left. It was only when he was a few steps away from the door that he realized the music had been playing the entire time he was there, and for a moment that fact felt important, although he wasn't really sure why.


	40. Caught Unawares

**40-Caught Unawares**

"It seems Jared has an inferiority complex," Sweets said. Booth had spent the last half hour telling him about his visit to his brother's apartment.

"Yeah," Booth breathed. "You think that's my fault?" he asked, meeting Sweets' eyes.

Sweets chuckled. "No, Agent Booth. You did what was right."

Booth still looked concerned. "You think so?"

"I know so," he said with conviction, and Booth knew Sweets knew what he was talking about. "But what's important is that you think it was right."

"Don't do that," Booth warned. "But I think it was," he said quietly.

Sweets just nodded. "You love very deeply, Agent Booth." Booth nodded. "Do you think your brother would benefit from some therapy?"

"Not in a million years, Sweets," he answered as he walked out the door.

Arriving at the lab, Booth immediately searched out his partner. He entered her office and quietly pulled the door shut. She could see how tired he was, but also relieved. She approached him and wrapped him in a tight hug. Booth closed his eyes and returned the gesture. "I'm OK, Bones," he said.

"Yeah, well, I love you and I want to make sure you're OK, so just shut up and accept the hug," she mumbled into his chest.

Booth chuckled and continued to hold her for a few more minutes before stepping back.

"So, back to our regular Sweets schedule?" she asked as she walked back to her desk.

"Yep," he said, seating himself in a chair.

"Don't you have work to do?" she asked.

"You're lookin' at it," he said, smiling big.

She narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't even answer my question." She could see he was content to stare at her all day, so she shooed him away. "Go bother someone else, Booth," she said with a wave of her hand.

Booth pouted. "I'm sorry, Bones."

"Booth, I didn't-," she started, but stopped when she saw he was joking.

"It's OK, I know you were joking too."

"Good, now go talk to someone else for a while."

He exhaled loudly. "Alright, Bones, have fun with your computer." _I'll just go talk to Wendell about hockey_, he thought.

"And don't talk to Wendell!" she shouted. "He has work too!"

Booth sighed and went to the platform to talk to Hodgins.

"So," Booth said, leaning forward on the backwards spinning chair, "what's that one called?"

"_Gryllus rubens_," Hodgins said.

"What is it in English?" Booth asked.

"The Southeastern Field Cricket," Hodgins answered.

Booth paused. He was bored. "So how'd you get into bugs?" he asked, spinning around.

Hodgins sighed. "Dude, I like talking to you, but I have work to do." Booth looked disappointed. "Why don't you go talk to Angela?" Booth grumbled and made his way to the artist's office.

"Hey, Ange," Booth said as he stood in the doorway.

"Hey, Booth. Come in."

"Whatcha doing?" he asked. She was sitting at the computer and staring intently at the screen.

"Downloading some new music."

"Cool," he answered. He looked around and tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair.

"Did you want something?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm kinda bored. Bones kicked me out."

Angela turned. "Is everything OK?"

"Yeah, she just wanted to do some work. And your boyfriend isn't helping, giving all his attention to his field crickets."

"Now you know how I feel," she joked. Booth laughed. "Listen to this music with me." Angela turned the volume up and violin filled the room, followed by a guitar.

_See a sea anemone, the enemy see a sea anemone_

_And that'll be the end of me_

_While the vicious fish was caught unawares_

_In the tenderest of tendrils._

Booth tapped his foot and Angela closed her eyes as the song played.

"That was nice," Booth said when the song finished.

"Isn't it?"

"Yeah, I usually hate the sound of violins, but this is good," Booth said as another song came on.

_Just think of the lives you could swap with your own._

_While you're selling your coats, you're sewing your own._

_You know it's not the easy way._

They sat for an hour and enjoyed the soft music and the unique voice flowing through the speakers. "Who is that?" Booth asked as the music ended.

"Andrew Bird," Angela answered.

"He's awesome."

"Yeah, I like him. He's so calm. It's like…he could tell you you're about to die and you'd think it was the best news ever." Booth laughed. "Here," she said, thrusting a CD at him. "It's one of his earlier albums. If you ever need to feel better, just listen to it."

Booth nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Ange."

"Any time, Studly." She was turning back to her computer screen when something caught her eye. "Hey, who's that?" she asked.

"Who?" Booth asked as he turned. He saw one of the lab security guards leading a tall, skinny young man to Brennan's door. "Oh," Booth said before he rushed out the door.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said as he approached the two men. "Who the hell is this?"

"Agent Booth?" the young man asked.

"Scott?"

"What's going on?" Brennan asked as she opened the door.

Booth grinned. "Look, Bones, it's Scott!"


	41. In Service

**41-In Service**

"Is something wrong?" Brennan asked once the three of them were in her office.

"Yes, something's wrong! You need better security at this place, Bones! People are just walking in and out undetected! What if it was someone dangerous?" Booth ranted.

"Booth, I was asking Scott."

"Oh. Well still. You need better security."

Brennan sighed. "Scott, please, sit down. Is everything OK?"

"Everything's fine, thanks," he said as he sat down.

"How you doin'?" Booth asked, looking at him with concern.

"I'm OK, thank you both. I, um…." Scott trailed off and laughed nervously while wringing his hands on his shirt. Booth and Brennan looked at each other and waited patiently for Scott to continue. "I came because James' funeral is Friday." Scott swallowed the lump in his throat. "My family and I would be honored if you could come. But I understand if you have work."

"We can spare a day to pay our respects to your brother, kid," Booth said, getting up and laying a hand on Scott's shoulder.

"We'd be honored to come," Brennan said after Booth prompted her with a glance.

"Thank you. It's at noon at Saint Domenic's," he said. Booth clapped him on the shoulder and they walked him out.

Brennan sighed and Booth could tell she was thinking. She met his eyes and he raised his eyebrows. She briefly laid her head on his shoulder and he ran his hand from the top of her head to her back. He stared blankly and thought, barely aware of her weight resting against him. He thought about himself and Jared when they were that age. He and Jared were off at college, but they weren't as close. Booth had been a regular college kid, goofing around occasionally and dating every pretty girl on campus, but he kept his grades up and had his athletics. Jared, well, frankly he didn't want to know exactly what Jared did at college. He sighed and noticed that Brennan had been looking at him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, running her hand up and down his back a few times.

He smiled. "Me at that age."

"I'm sure you were a lot like Scott. Except much handsomer," she added.

Booth smiled. "I had my fair share of female attention," he said. "But I wasn't like that."

"How do you mean?"

"I wasn't as focused. I mean, I kept my grades up, but I played sports. I was trying to keep my act together long enough to get ready for the Army. And I certainly didn't have that sort of relationship with Jared," he added after a pause. "But whatever. You're sure you wanna go?"

"Of course," she said.

"OK. See you later, Bones," he said, kissing her softly.

"Bye, Booth."

They had informed the team of their destination, and everyone had requested to go with them. Booth, Brennan, Hodgins, and Angela gathered in Booth's SUV at 11:30, and Cam and Wendell spent quality time together in Cam's car as they followed the others to the church.

"I hope there's no burning devils on the altar," Booth whispered playfully, remembering the last time they had gone to the church together.

"I'm sure that was a one-time occurrence, Booth. It's highly unlikely that it will happen again," Brennan whispered.

"Of course, Bones," Booth conceded, leading her to a pew.

The rest of the team joined them and they sat through the service in silence, all lost in their own thoughts. Booth was tall enough that he could see James' parents in the front row and Scott seated next to them. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying not to let the sadness consume him. He had been to too many young men's funerals in his life and that fact brought back mixed memories. They were his friends, and the times they had together were good. But now they were gone, and Booth wished he could take all the pain away. He focused his attention back on the moment long enough to say Amen and not have anyone notice he wasn't paying attention.

Everyone then made the trek to the burial ground as James' family laid him to rest. Booth stood, head bowed, hands folded together, sending silent prayers to God. He heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him, and looked up to see Scott approaching them.

"Thank you for coming, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan," Scott said, shaking the hand of each of them.

"Thanks for letting us be here, kid," Booth said.

"My parents have something for you," Scott said, stepping aside to reveal his mother and father standing behind him.

"Thank you so much for coming," Mrs. Morganthal said to both of them. "We…we, um," she started, but tears choked her words.

"We want you to have these," Mr. Morganthal said, handing Brennan a puck and Booth a red jersey. "James scored the winning goal of the national championship with that puck," he said, pointing to Brennan's hand and the object inside it.

"I remember that game," Booth said softly. "Against University of Vermont."

Mr. Morganthal nodded. "It was a great game. And that was the jersey he wore," he added, pointing to the shirt in Booth's hands. "Washed, of course," he added laughingly.

"Thank you, but…" Booth started.

"We can't take these," Brennan finished for him.

"Yes, you can," Mr. Morganthal said. "You gave our son justice and our family can find peace. Without you we might never have known what happened to him."

"Our team helped as well," Brennan said softly, pointing to the group gathered by a large tree.

"Tell them thank you from us," Mr. Morganthal said as he waved to the group and Angela waved back.

"Really, though, it's our job to do these things," Booth said. "We just can't accept this."

"I'll hear no more of that," Mrs. Morganthal replied. "We buried James with his home jersey and the puck he scored his first goal with. This is the least we can give you."

They turned their eyes to Scott, who nodded silently and reassuringly. "I want you to have those too," he said. "I have a lot to remember my brother by. I'd be honored if you took those."

Booth and Brennan conceded and thanked the family again. Afterwards they walked towards the team.

"What's that, guys?" Angela asked.

Brennan took a deep breath. "We'll explain later," she said in a voice thick with reminiscence.

"Of course, sweetie," Angela replied softly.

Angela and Hodgins went back with Cam and Wendell as Booth and Brennan went back to the lab on their own.

"What are you gonna do with it, Bones?" Booth asked as they walked to her office.

She didn't have to ask what he was talking about. "I don't know yet," she said, fondly turning the puck over in her hand.

"Maybe you should put it with your artifacts," Booth suggested.

"No," she said. He looked surprised. "It's…this is more than that."

Booth smiled at her. "I understand, Bones."

"What are you going to do with yours?" she asked, sitting at her desk.

"You'll see," he said.

"But, Booth!" she cried after him, but he continued on as if she had said nothing, smiling to himself all the way back to the Hoover.

Brennan arrived at his office at five o'clock. Booth looked up at the sound of soft knocking. "Hey, Bones," he said, walking over to her.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah. What'd you do with the puck?" he asked, gathering his coat and helping her with hers.

"Oh Hodgins made me a stand and I put in on my desk."

"That's nice, Bones."

"What'd you do with the jersey?" He laughed and she followed his eyes to the wall behind his desk, gasping when it caught her eye. "You framed it," she said tenderly.

"Yeah," he whispered, kissing her on the head. She laid her head on his shoulder as they both stared at it for a few moments before walking out into the night air.


	42. Oh, Baby

**42-Oh, Baby**

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, so good to see you again," Sweets said as the pair sat down on his couch. After a few weeks' hiatus, they were back facing their young, bright-eyed psychologist.

"You too, Sweets," Brennan said. Booth didn't say anything until Brennan nudged him.

"Oh, um, yeah, same here," Booth managed.

Sweets smiled. When it came to Booth, he was like a little girl: always trying to get the attention of the boy whose feelings towards her were indifferent, and Booth's resistance only made Sweets run faster after him. "How is work?" he asked, choosing to start simply.

"Good," Booth said.

"No case?" They shook their heads. "OK, so, free time? Anything interesting?"

"We went to a funeral," Brennan said quickly.

"Bones," Booth hissed.

"What? We had to give him _something_," she argued.

"I'm sorry, whose funeral did you go to?" Sweets asked, putting an end to their bickering.

Booth sighed. "A victim's."

"Oh?"

"His brother came by and asked if we would come, and we said yes." Sweets said nothing and Booth got agitated. "It's not like we haven't been to victims' funerals before, OK, Sweets?" he asked in a raised voice.

"I know, Agent Booth. What drew you to this victim?"

"It's because he sees himself in the brother," Brennan answered.

"Bones, my God."

"Sorry," she whispered.

"What does she mean, Agent Booth?"

"She means the brother reminded me of me at that age."

Sweets nodded almost imperceptibly. "Did he have a similar relationship with his brother?"

"No. They were really close."

"Perhaps by going to this funeral, you were making peace with your brother."

"Or maybe I just wanted to pay my respects!" he almost yelled. "I've been to a lot of kids' funerals, alright?" He felt Brennan's hand on his arm and took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about Jared," he mumbled, lying down so his head was in Brennan's lap. "Nothing's going to change."

Brennan ran her hand in Booth's hair softly. Sweets opened his mouth and tried to force the words out but he couldn't. Finally he cleared his throat.

Booth flipped onto his back, keeping his head in Brennan's lap. "Did we not tell him?" she asked.

"I knew we forgot something," he joked.

"You two are…?" Booth leaned up and kissed Brennan passionately. Several minutes later, they broke apart and Booth turned his head, wiggling his eyebrows at Sweets and smiling fully. "Well, congratulations. It's about time," he said.

Booth sat up and braced himself on the couch as he leaned forward. "So, do we have to talk about this now?"

Sweets laughed. "No, Agent Booth, obviously you are doing just fine. Just know that you can always come to me if you have-."

"Yeah, yeah, never gonna happen," Booth said.

Sweets conceded. "Now that you two are in a relationship, have you given any more thought to having a baby?"

"Um, we haven't really talked about it," Brennan said, looking at her hands.

"Bones," Booth said, forcing her to look up at him, "do you want to have a baby together?"

"Yes, of course. I just didn't…."

"Didn't what? Didn't think I would want to?" Brennan didn't say anything. "Bones, I'd have a hundred kids with you. I love you."

"Booth, of course I want to have children with you. It's just…I didn't want to bring it up."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Well, you know."

"No, I don't know."

"You mean you don't know?" Sweets asked.

"What? What don't I know?" Booth asked agitatedly.

"Last time," Brennan started, then took a shuddering breath, "we talked about it…."

"When did we talk about it?"

"Last year. Here." Booth felt like he was in a dream, and he was desperately trying to wake up. He wanted nothing more than to have kids with Brennan and to start as soon as possible, but he had no recollection of ever having discussed it with her before. In fact, he was sure they had never spoken of it. "We were playing that word association game. I said I wanted to have a baby. I asked you for your sperm. You agreed. But then…your surgery. And you said if you didn't make it I could have the sperm."

Booth's throat was dry and he couldn't vocalize a thought. Panic and confusion swept through him. "W-what?"

"You regret it, don't you?" she asked sadly.

"Bones, I haven't regretted anything about what we've shared together."

"You don't remember," said Sweets, speaking for the first time in a while.

Booth shook his head with wide eyes. "No. I don't remember at all."


	43. Back in Flashes

**43-Back in Flashes**

Brennan was in a full-blown panic. Booth didn't remember? But that had been so…so _important_. She was sure it had been a huge step in their relationship. "Sweets?" she finally asked.

Booth's head fell, his chin dropping to rest on his chest. He was sure he was back; now he was sure he had royally screwed up.

"I, um….Honestly I had no idea. I did not see this coming," Sweets said.

"Neither did I," Booth said. He turned solemn eyes to Brennan. "I'm sorry, Bones," he said, choking on his disappointment. "I'm sorry," he repeated in a whisper.

"Booth, you have nothing to be sorry about," Brennan reassured him, taking his face in her hands.

Booth smiled and turned to Sweets. "Does this mean…?"

"No, no, Agent Booth." Booth exhaled a sigh of relief. "Agent Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"I need you to trust me when I say what I'm about to say, OK?" Booth nodded. "Shortly after Dr. Brennan asked you to be her sperm donor, you came to me admitting feelings of anxiety about the situation."

Booth shook his head. "Did I say why?"

"I don't know if you truly wanted to do it," Sweets admitted nervously.

"Why wouldn't I want to have a child with Bones?"

"_Come on, five-year-olds can do this."_

"_Because it's childish."_

"You didn't, Booth," Brennan said.

"What?" he asked, not having heard her.

"Are you OK?" she asked. He nodded, and she continued with a raised brow. "We were in the interrogation room. You were shouting, saying, 'That's not what I said!'"

"I shouted at you?" he interrupted.

"Not at me."

"At who?" Brennan bit her lip. "At who, Bones?" he asked softly.

"Stewie."

"From Family Guy?"

"Yes."

"I….I hallucinated."

"That wasn't the first time," she said quietly.

His head snapped from Sweets to her. "Luc Robitaille. Teddy. I remember. But why…?"

"Maybe you've repressed this memory," Sweets suggested.

"Or maybe I don't have one!" Booth said, raising his voice.

"Perhaps we should start at the beginning," Sweets suggested. "Dr. Brennan?"

She nodded. "We were in our session. You were hungry, and you said you wanted donuts."

"Woah, Dr. Brennan, let's just skip to the important part." Sweets' voice faded out as a snippet of conversation invaded Booth's mind.

"_I want a baby."_

"_Woah!"_

"_Horse."_

"Booth? Booth, are you listening?"

"What? Yeah, sorry. You said you wanted a baby in the middle of the game."

"Yes."

"Um, then what?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Not until much later."

"No, before that," he said suddenly.

"Before that?" she asked.

"Did I go to the sperm bank?" He didn't wait for her answer as he launched himself into another memory.

"_You've got a hot doctor friend, why don't you just go to her and make a direct deposit?"_

"I..." he responded to the memory.

"You what?" she asked, but he didn't hear her.

"_You're going to leave her to change poo all by her lonesome?"_

"It's what she WANTS!" he shouted with the memory.

"Agent Booth, calm down," Sweets said, half rising from his chair.

Booth screamed and then all was silent. He looked up at Brennan with sweat shining on his face. "I need you to tell me the rest," he panted.

"Booth, are-?"

"Yes. Please, tell me the rest."

She took a shuddering breath before continuing. "We were in the interrogation room and you started talking to your hallucination."

"_You're going to abandon your child!"_

"_That's not what I said!"_

Booth groaned. "What next?" he asked, almost breathless.

"I took you outside and told you we were going to the hospital."

"_If I'm gonna be the father, I have to __**be**_a_**father**__."_

"I….I said it."

"Said what?"

"Told you….Told you that I had to be involved."

"Yes," Brennan said after a pause.

"I remember the diagnosis," he said. "But I…."

"…_you're a genius. And that's good enough for me. You'll know if they're screwin' up."_

"You came in with me."

"_Can we stop for a second?...Bones, if I don't make it-."_

"_You're gonna be fine, Booth."_

"_Yeah, but if I'm not…I want you to have my stuff….You're gonna make a great mom."_

"Oh," he half-groaned, half-breathed.

"Booth?"

"I…I offered," he panted, unable to finish.

Brennan was close to tears as she nodded.

"And you were…" he started as he grabbed her hand. He closed his eyes and relived every moment, remembering everything. His shot back open and he looked at her once more with an indecipherable expression on his face before he passed out.


	44. TwoTime Offer

**44-Two-time Offer**

He lay still on the floor. At first, they called his name. "Agent Booth, Agent Booth!" Nothing. Next, they shook him. Moments later, nothing. Then they tried cold water on his face. A murmur, but no decisive movement or attempt to wake up. Finally, the smelling salts were brought out. This time the murmur was accompanied by several twitches, which were followed by Booth sitting up and blinking rapidly.

"Booth, are you OK?" Brennan asked frantically.

He looked at her for a few minutes, trying to process everything. "Yeah," he finally said. "Yeah I'm OK." He smiled. "I remembered." No one said anything. "I remembered everything."

"About the baby?" Sweets asked.

"About everything," Booth said. "At first I vaguely remembered the details of the operation. I remembered being diagnosed, asking you to come in, Bones, and then I remember the dream and waking up."

"Did you remember the case?" she asked.

"Yeah. But only…I don't know. I don't know why I didn't remember the other stuff." He ventured a glance at her and saw she was trying to process what she heard. "Bones, it isn't like I didn't want to remember. I don't understand. You know I don't get all this squinty stuff," he laughed, but she barely smiled. "Oh, Bones," he said, pulling her in for a hug.

"I believe, Agent Booth, that you did remember," Sweets said from his position on the floor.

"I just said I didn't," Booth retorted, turning his head to the side to see the psychologist.

"You didn't remember that you remembered." Before Booth could reply Sweets continued. "In your dream, you and Dr. Brennan were expecting a child. Dr. Brennan was also your wife, as well as several other things that weren't really true. So, when you woke up, you strived to disprove everything that happened in the dream. But Dr. Brennan _did_ ask you to father a child. You _were_ going to have a baby. But you disproved that, just like you disproved everything else in the dream. This is why you were able to recall the events once they were brought up."

Booth noticed Brennan hadn't said anything or moved in a while. "Bones?" he asked quietly. "Bones," he whispered in her ear, letting his lips graze her soft skin. She lifted her head. "What are you thinking?"

She paused before answering. "I wanted to have a baby. I wanted to have a baby so I wouldn't be alone. And I wanted you to be the father because I loved you, and I wanted you in my life as more. But I didn't think that could happen, and then the surgery. I was so selfish, asking for your sperm. And I felt awful when you offered it to me. It was wrong of me to think you could abandon your child. And then I never brought it up because I was so scared you had changed your mind. I was afraid you'd see how selfish I'd been and you would never want to help me, let alone be with me." She was crying and put her hands in front of her face.

He let her cry for a minute before gently taking her hands away from her face. "I never thought you were selfish."

She sniffed. "Come on, Booth."

"Really, Bones," he assured her, his eyes holding hers in a steady gaze. "I wanted you to have the baby. I thought I was being selfish by agreeing without discussing my feelings with you. I just wanted you to be happy. I wasn't brave enough to tell you I loved you, so I wanted you to have the baby if I didn't make it, because it was what you wanted, and…and because I wanted you to want me, even if it was only a part of me. I wanted you to have me, even if I wasn't there." Brennan again leaned into Booth. "Don't cry, Bones. Please don't cry."

She pushed away again. "I'm not crying," she laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked, smiling.

"It's just so ridiculous! Both of us…both of us…." Booth suddenly broke out into laughter and couldn't stop himself.

After long minutes of laughing, they both quieted and looked at each other. They were vaguely aware of the door closing as Sweets left them alone. "I still want to have a baby with you," Brennan whispered.

"I still want to have a baby with you," Booth said back.

"There's just one thing."

"What?"

"We have to do it the old-fashioned way," she said, pulling him towards her by his shirt.

"Bones, wait," he said in between kisses.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"We're in Sweets' office," he reminded her.

She looked around before standing up. "That wouldn't be good."

"No, it wouldn't," he said.

She grabbed his hand and they headed back to the SUV.

"So," he said once they were on their way back to the lab. "We're gonna have a baby," he said.

"Well, I'm not pregnant yet."

"But we're gonna get you pregnant. Well, _I'm_ gonna get you pregnant."

"You're going to try."

"Hey," he said, parking the car, "you're the one who said I had extremely motile sperm." He laughed but caught the uncertainty in her eyes. "What is it, Bones?"

"I'm a little nervous," she admitted softly.

"Bones, come here." Booth pulled her over so she was seated on his lap. "I'm nervous too. But you want this, right?" She nodded vehemently. "And I want this too. I love you so much and I want to have children with you. But we'll take this one step at a time and we'll take those steps together."

She touched her nose to his and he lightly stroked her side. Somewhere along the way he noticed that, like in his dream, she was sitting on his lap. And, like in the dream, they were discussing their future child. But now she was sitting facing the opposite way. And now, also oppositely, the moment was real.

"I love you, Booth," she said.

"I love you too, Bones," he said, placing his palm on her cheek and kissing her sensually.

Back at the lab, Brennan dove right into her work. She worked for hours, not even noticing the time when Booth arrived to pick her up. "Hey, Bones," he said in a deep voice.

"Hey," she said back. They each could tell that the other was a bit nervous.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. Gathering her things, they walked together out to the SUV.

As they arrived at the apartment, they got out of the car and walked slowly to the building's front doors. The elevator ride was quiet as each was lost in thought. At the ding of the elevator, they abruptly turned their gazes on each other. Booth slowly held his out and Brennan took it. Together, hand in hand, they walked out of the elevator. Opening and shutting the door, the silence was broken by Booth's tender voice. "You ready, Bones?" he asked.

"I love you, Booth," she replied.

That was all the answer he needed as he scooped her up and brought her to the bedroom. Laying her down softly on the bed, he was overwhelmed with emotion. "I love you too, Bones." No more words were needed as they made love not only for themselves, but for the future they were about to create.


	45. Try, Try Again

**45-Try, Try Again**

Booth and Brennan had fallen asleep, both exhausted after the previous day's events. As Booth woke up, he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, sending a prayer to God to grant them with a child. He so wanted to have a baby with Brennan, and he knew she wanted one with him. It would mean everything to him if they could be a family.

Later that afternoon, he walked into her office to pick her up for lunch. "Bones, guess what I did," he said as he helped her with her coat.

"What?" she asked, suppressing laughter at his childlike excitement.

"I went on WebMD and…" he looked around to make sure no one was listening, "and looked up tips on how to get pregnant," he finished in a whisper.

"What's WebMD?" Brennan asked.

"It's a website. You go on the internet and look up medical stuff and it gives you information."

"Sounds hinky," Brennan remarked.

Booth laughed. "Hey, you used my word!" he said happily.

"I have a very steep learning curve," she replied.

"That you do, Bones, that you do."

"So, what did this web doctor say?" she asked as they climbed into the SUV.

"No, Bones, it's not a doctor, it's…never mind. It said that having sex every day can reduce a man's sperm count, but I'm willing to take that risk."

"You do have very motile sperm."

Booth felt proud. "It also said if you eat vegetables, soy, and olive oil and stuff like that it helps. Guess your weird food turned out to be useful after all," he said with a smirk.

"Well, your meat is helpful too," she said.

"Of course it is," he said.

She laughed. "No, I mean it helps with fertility."

"It does?"

"Yes. Eating foods that are high in zinc and selenium, such as meat, improves male fertility."

"Huh," he said as they got out of the car and walked towards the diner. "So we'll just get our usual then."

"Yes, I believe that would be best," she said with a smile.

That night and every night for the next two weeks they made love. But Brennan still wasn't pregnant and they were both tired. The sex was still amazing, but she felt like somehow she was letting Booth down by not being pregnant yet, and that was the worst feeling of all. Brennan walked into her office in a haze one Monday morning, throwing some files on her desk. "Hi, sweetie…oh," Angela said, noticing her friend's beaten look. "Not a good weekend?" her friend asked.

"It was fine," Brennan asked.

Angela raised her eyebrow. "Not enough lovin' from your stud muffin?" Brennan shot her a look. "Too much? No, that can't be right…"

"Angela, please. Just drop it, OK?" Brennan pleaded.

"OK, sweetie," Angela said softly. She left the office and forced herself to concentrate instead of worrying too much about her friend.

Brennan arrived home and sank down into a chair, Booth following behind. "Bones, why don't we go to bed?" he asked. "To sleep," he clarified. Brennan didn't answer as her face lay buried in the crook of her elbow. "Bones?"

"Something's wrong with me," she moaned.

Booth went over and crouched down in front of her. "Wrong with you?"

"Yes, Booth! It's obviously not you, your sperm count is excellent. I just wasn't meant to be a mom," she sighed.

"Bones, listen to me," Booth said firmly. "_Nothing_ is wrong with you. I will take you into that room right now and make love to you over and over until you're pregnant," he said, pointing to the bedroom.

"Nothing's wrong with me?" she asked quietly after a pause.

"No," Booth said. "You don't usually get pregnant right away," he said, calming her fears.

"I know, it's just…I really want to."

"Me too, Bones." They both smiled. "Come on, let's go try again." He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

The next morning Angela caught Brennan looking tired again. "Sweetie, are you sure everything's OK?" she asked as she stood in her friend's office.

"Angela, I'm fine," Brennan reiterated. "I just…" she started, her defenses finally cracking, "I just don't feel well."

"Why don't you go home?" Angela asked, stepping closer.

"No, no, I don't need to go home. I'll be fine."

"OK," Angela conceded, but made a mental note to visit a certain Seeley Booth during the day.

Angela approached the open door hearing whistling and papers rustling. "Well hey there, Studly," Angela said.

"Angela, hey, sit down. What's up? Bones is OK, right?"

"Well, actually…"

"Angela, what is it? What happened to Bones?" he asked in a panic, grabbing Angela's shoulders.

"Booth, nothing…immediate."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Booth asked in a high-pitched voice.

"It's just that she seems really tired and down lately. And so do you," she realized, raising her eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on, Angela," Booth said, moving back behind his desk.

"Don't you lie to me, Seeley Booth. Why are you and Brennan brooding? Because it's bringing everyone down."

"We're not _brooding_," he said, meeting her eyes as he leaned forward with his palms planted on his desk.

But Angela wasn't letting him intimidate her. "Then what _are_ you doing?" she asked, getting irritated.

"WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A BABY!" he finally let out. He immediately hung his head. Angela was speechless.

"No we're not," they suddenly heard.

"Bren?" Angela asked, only realizing how stupid the question sounded after it came out.

"We're not?" Booth asked.

Brennan shook her head, walking further into the room and stopping in front of Booth. "We're done trying," she said with a smile.

Booth still looked confused. "Booth," Angela said. He looked at her. "Really? Key word: _trying_."

Booth looked back at Brennan with wide eyes. "You are?" he asked with his excitement barely being contained and his smile about to crack his face. She nodded. "We're having a baby," he said, about to burst with adrenaline. She nodded again. He dragged her to the doorway of his office. "We're having a baby!" he yelled. The agents in the area looked confused but then slowly started to clap. Brennan and Angela were hugging and Booth was laughing in excitement. Angela grabbed Booth in a bear hug and then excused herself as Booth and Brennan caught each other's eyes.

"Thank you," Brennan whispered.

"For what?" Booth whispered back.

"For not giving up on me," she said.

"I'll never give up on you, Bones. I'm so happy," he said as he picked her up and spun her around once.

"Me too," she said as he set her down.

They shared a kiss, and afterwards he bent down so her stomach was at eye level. "Hi in there," he said softly. "I'm your daddy, and I love you."

Brennan knew the baby couldn't yet hear anything, but she didn't care. Booth crouched in front of her, long fingers stroking her stomach and the light in his eyes was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. He placed a soft kiss against her stomach and tears threatened to escape from her eyes. He stood up and kissed her again, letting his tongue taste hers. "Let's get outta here, Mommy," he said after they pulled apart.

"Sounds good, Daddy," she said, taking his head and walking side by side with him, the way it was meant to be.


	46. Two Weeks' Notice

**46-Two Weeks' Notice**

Booth had just dropped Brennan back off at the lab when his phone rang. "Booth," he answered. "Oh, hi, Rebecca. OK. Uh-huh. Yep that's fine. I guess I'll be there around six. No, I'm not gonna keep him waiting. Well then tell him 6:30 to be safe, then if I'm early he can be excited." He did _not_ feel like having an argument right then, not after the wonderful news he'd just gotten. "Bye," he said then hung up. He decided to call Brennan and let him know what had happened.

"Angela, you can't tell anyone. Not yet, anyway."

"I completely understand, Bren. It's your thing to tell."

"I know you understand, Ange, but that doesn't-." She was cut off by her phone ringing. "But that doesn't mean you won't tell everyone anyway," she finished in a hurry before answering. "Brennan," she said into her office phone.

"Bones, it's me," Booth said.

"Hi, Booth."

"Listen, Rebecca just called and she needs me to take Parker for the night. Is that OK?" he asked, not wanting to intrude since he basically lived at her apartment.

"Of course it's OK, Booth. What time is he coming?"

"Well, I was thinking we could pick him up around 6:30."

"Is that a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Brennan paused. "Don't you think Rebecca would rather me not be there?"

"Bones, you're going to be with him anyway. And I don't give a damn what Rebecca thinks."

Brennan smiled. "OK, Booth. Are we, um….Are we going to tell him about everything?"

Booth sighed. "I want to. I think we should just…see how it goes."

"OK. Sounds good."

"Thanks. I'll see you later, OK, Bones?"

"OK. Bye, Booth. I love you."

"Bye, Bones. I love you too."

Angela grinned when her friend hung up the phone.

"Parker's coming over tonight," Brennan said.

"Aw, that's awesome." Brennan nodded. "Are you gonna tell him about you guys?"

"Booth said we should just see how it goes."

"Right. Feel it out," Angela said.

"Feel what out?" Brennan asked.

Angela shook her head. "Never mind. So, you think it's a girl or a boy?" she asked, diverting her friend's attention.

"Angela, that's impossible to know."

"I could get Avalon to do a reading."

"No! I mean, no thanks, Ange," she clarified to Angela's raised eyebrow. "Besides, I don't know about Booth, but I want to be surprised."

"Really?"

"Yes," Brennan answered, struggling to understand why her friend found this hard to believe.

"It's just that….I thought you'd want to plan everything, you know? Isn't it kind of…I don't know…_irrational_ to leave it as a surprise?"

"Sometimes, Angela, you do irrational things for family," she said, repeating a lesson she had learned from Booth.

"Yeah, you do," Angela said softly.

"Ready to go, Bones?" Booth asked. It was five after six and he didn't want to be late picking up Parker.

"Yep," she answered, letting him help her with her coat.

"I can't think of a way to tell Parker about us," Booth said when they were in the car.

"Why don't you just tell him the truth?" she suggested.

"I know, but he's protective. He loves you, though, so I guess I can tell him straight up," he reasoned.

"I don't know what that means."

"Never mind."

"Why are you driving so fast?"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are. The speed limit is 50 and you're going 60."

He sighed in exasperation and looked over at her. "Because it's 6:20 and Rebecca's is fifteen minutes away."

"Why don't you put on the siren?"

"No, Bones."

"Yeah so just keep speeding that's much more logical," she said.

Booth sighed and didn't reply.

They made it to Rebecca's in ten minutes thanks to Booth's barely legal driving techniques. They had both just gotten out of the car when Parker barreled through the front door of the house. "Daddy, Daddy!" he screamed, running into Booth's arms.

Booth hugged his son tight and kissed his head. "Look who's here, bub."

"Dr. Bones!" he yelled, launching himself into her embrace.

"Be careful, Parker," Booth warned.

"Dr. Bones, are you staying at Daddy's tonight too?" he asked.

"Actually, Parker, you and your dad are staying with me," she said.

"Cool!" he replied.

"Parker, say bye to your mom and get in the car," Booth said, ruffling Parker's hair.

"OK!" Parker obliged, running to hug Rebecca and climbing in the car.

After Booth and Rebecca had a quick discussion of how Brennan's apartment was perfectly acceptable to stay at and planning when she would pick Parker up the next day, they were off to Brennan's apartment.

Running inside, Parker started running around looking at all the artifacts and magazines in the apartment. "Think we should tell him now?" Booth asked quietly.

Brennan shrugged. "It's your decision, Booth."

"No, it's _our_ decision, Bones." She looked at him. "You're a big part of Parker's life, and you're his third parent. I need your help doing this."

"Booth, I'm sure you don't-." She was cut off by his finger over her lips.

"I need you for this, Bones. What if he takes it the wrong way? I need you by my side." She nodded and he called Parker over to the couch. "Sit down, Parker."

"Am I in trouble?" the boy asked.

"No, bub, you're not in trouble. Bones and I just have something to tell you."

"What is it?" Parker asked, his eyes becoming wider.

"Well, Bones and I, um." He was hesitant about continuing.

Brennan put her hand softly on Booth's thigh. "It's OK, Booth," she whispered.

"Bones is my girlfriend, buddy," he finally said.

Parker looked back and forth between the two. "You're really my daddy's girlfriend, Dr. Bones?" he asked.

"Yes, Parker, I am."

"Good, because Daddy and I have wanted that for a long time," he said factually, moving to hug her.

"So have I, Parker," she said.

"You're sure this is OK, Parker?" Booth asked, laying a hand on his son's head.

"It's great!" Parker responded.

Booth smiled. "OK. Go wash your hands for dinner." Brennan nudged Booth with her elbow once Parker ran off. "Don't say you told me so," Booth said to her.

"But I did."

"Yeah well that's why you're the genius," he said before kissing her. They broke apart just before Parker exited the bathroom, and twenty minutes later they all settled down for spaghetti.

"This is really good, Dr. Bones," Parker commented, shoveling spaghetti into his mouth.

"Slow down, though, pal. You're gonna get a stomach ache," Booth said. Parker slowed his eating, and Brennan was amazed at the lack of rebellion and refusal Parker showed his father, as well as Booth's gentle patience with his son.

"Thank you, Parker," Brennan said.

Booth let a few silent minutes pass to gather his nerves before addressing his son again. "Parker, there's one more thing Bones and I want to tell you."

Parker looked up. "What?"

Booth was encouraged by Parker's response to their relationship, and Booth was sure Parker was mature enough to process the amount of information he was receiving, so he didn't waste much time in explaining. "Bones and I are having a baby."

"You are?" he asked quietly.

Neither Booth nor Brennan could read his expression or his tone of voice. "Are you OK, Parker?" Brennan asked.

"I'm fine," he said, looking down at his plate.

"Do you want some more milk?" Booth asked, trying to take Parker's mind off the announcement.

"No," Parker answered sharply.

"No, what?" Booth asked, trying to prompt his son into saying no, thank you.

"No because I don't like skim milk!" Parker screamed, pushing the glass to the floor, where it broke with a loud crack and thud.

"Parker, apologize!" Booth said, standing up.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Parker yelled back, running down the hall to the guest bedroom.

Booth slumped in his chair when he heard the door slam. "Maybe you should talk to him," Brennan suggested softly after a few minutes.

Booth nodded. "I'm sorry for all this, Bones. I really thought he would be happy."

"Don't apologize, Booth. It's OK."

Booth nodded and headed down the hall. "Parker," he called as he knocked softly on the door.

"Go away," Parker said.

"Can we talk, pal?"

"No! I wanna talk to Dr. Bones!"

"OK, pal. Bones," he said, turning towards the hallway. "Parker wants to talk to you."

"Parker?" Brennan asked softly, coming to stand outside the door.

"Come in," he sniffed.

"What's wrong, Parker?" she asked, crouching down in front of the little boy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed facing the door.

"It's just….I really loved you, Dr. Bones," Parker said sadly.

"What changed that?" she asked.

"Well, you won't love me anymore, so I think it's best if we just go our separate ways."

Brennan stifled her laugh as she knew Parker was very serious and very concerned. "Parker, I will always love you."

His head shot up. "Really?"

"Really."

"What about the baby? I mean, won't you have to love the baby instead of me?"

"Parker, I will love you both the same, and I love you very, very much."

"But I'm not even your real son," he said dejectedly.

"Parker, you are as much my real son as this baby will be my real son or daughter."

"Really?" he asked again.

"Really. Besides, your dad and I are going to need your help."

"My help?"

"You're the baby's brother. You have to teach him or her new things and be there for him or her."

"What if I'm not good at it?"

Brennan laid a hand on Parker's small thigh. "I know it seems scary, but I trust you and I know you'll be the best big brother ever. This baby is lucky to have you," she soothed.

Parker smiled, but it quickly faded. "But what about Daddy? Will he still love me?"

"Of course your dad will still love you. You're the most precious thing on Earth to him, and to me too." Parker nodded. "But why don't you talk to him? Only if you're ready, though."

Parker steeled himself. "I'm ready," he said, meeting Brennan's eyes.

Brennan nodded and cracked the door open. "Booth?" she called. He walked over and she closed the door behind her. "He wants to talk to you," she whispered.

"Is he OK?"

"I think he will be in a minute. He just needs to know how much his father loves him," she said smiling.

Booth smiled back and with a little nod opened the door. "Hey, buddy."

"Daddy," Parker sobbed, running to his father. Booth crouched down and held him tight. "I was scared you and Dr. Bones wouldn't love me anymore. I didn't want to share you. But Dr. Bones said I'm the most precious thing in the world to both of you."

"Parker, you're my son, and Bones is right. I love you more than anything in this world. I could never, _ever_ stop loving you," Booth assured, looking his son in the eyes before pulling him back into his embrace.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Parker sobbed.

"It's OK, baby. Don't cry," Booth whispered, rubbing his son's back as he sobbed on Booth's shoulder. He only ever called Parker baby when the boy was really scared or upset, and he felt Parker relax a little after hearing the term of endearment. Eventually Parker stopped crying and pulled away, rubbing his eyes.

Brennan had heard the boy's sobbing and had put a washcloth in cool water. She came into the room and softly rubbed the towel over Parker's face. "I'm sorry I broke your glass, Dr. Bones," he hiccupped.

"Don't worry about it, precious," she said, continuing to wipe his face with the soft washcloth. "Is that better?" she asked. He nodded.

"Why don't you go get ready for bed and then come back out?" Booth asked.

"OK," he said, reaching for another hug. "I love you, Daddy," he said once they were embraced.

Booth kissed his son's head. "I love you too, bub."

They went to the bedroom while Parker got his pajamas on and Booth changed his shirt, which was wet with tears. "Thank you, Bones," he said once he pulled the new shirt over his head.

"For what?" she asked.

"For loving my son," he said, sitting on the bed next to her. "I don't know if he would have talked to me if you hadn't gone in there first."

"He loves you, Booth. You know that."

"I know. It's just…I'm thankful he has you. He loves you too, you know." Brennan smiled. "Come on," Booth said, taking her hand and leading her out to the couch.

Brennan sat wrapped in Booth's arms as they waited for Parker. The little boy approached and they moved apart so he could sit between them. "Can we watch a movie?" he asked.

"Sure, buddy," Booth answered.

Once they picked one out everyone got settled on the couch. Parker leaned on Brennan and rested his hand on her stomach. "Hi, baby," the boy said softly. "I'm Parker, and I'm your big brother. At first when I heard about you I was scared, but now I'm really excited. I want you to come soon so I can teach you stuff, OK?"

Booth and Brennan looked at each other while Parker continued to talk, and both of them knew they had never been happier in their lives.


	47. Cause and Effect

**47-Cause and Effect**

A few weeks later Brennan was starting to feel the effects of her pregnancy. Booth now woke every morning to the sound of vomiting coming from the bathroom. He would rub his eyes and open the door slowly. Brennan would be on her knees, clutching the toilet, unable to stop the hot tears that flowed from her eyes. "You're OK, Bones," he would say softly as he knelt next to her and gathered her hair, tying it back for her. Then he would rub her back as her stomach tightened.

"Booth, I want this to stop," she moaned one morning, turning to look at him.

"I know, Bones, me too. But just remember that when this is all over we're gonna have a beautiful baby." He smiled as he helped her up.

Luckily the morning sickness wasn't making either of them late for work, but Brennan was constantly worried that she would exhibit some side effect of pregnancy and everyone would immediately catch on. Of course she knew she was being paranoid, but she couldn't help it.

To make matters worse, they absolutely had to tell Sweets. There was no way they could wait until she started showing because he would surely concoct some wild theory of how they weren't ready or had trust issues or didn't realize the enormity of the situation.

Arriving at the office, they took a deep breath before walking in the room. "You're sure you want to tell him?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Yes, I suppose. I just don't see a better alternative."

Before Booth could respond Sweets opened the door. "Oh, good, you guys are here. Well, come in then." They entered the room and slowly sat on the couch. They were both afraid he would catch on right away, and Sweets noticed their conspicuously cautious behavior. They both threw him a glance about every ten millionths of a second, but he kept a passive expression as they finally sat down. "Was there something specific you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant," Brennan blurted.

"Subtle, Bones," Booth remarked.

She blushed. "Sorry."

"You're…you're pregnant?" Sweets asked, unable to conceal his shock. Brennan nodded. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good, aside from the morning sickness."

Sweets nodded. "That's to be expected. And you, Agent Booth?"

"Never better, Sweets. We went to Bones' doctor appointment, and she said everything was fine," Booth answered rapidly, barely containing his excitement.

Sweets smiled. "Congratulations, both of you." They thanked him and he moved on. "Have you told the others?"

"Uh, we…" Brennan started.

"Not exactly," Booth said. Sweets raised an eyebrow. "See the thing is that we kinda weren't…_planning_ on telling them just yet."

"Oh?" Sweets said.

"Well, Angela knows," Brennan said.

"So you told Angela?" Sweets asked, trying to clear things up.

"Well…." Booth started. "She, um, came to my office, and….I told her we were trying to have a baby and then…and then Bones came in and said we were done trying because she was pregnant."

Sweets nodded. "And she's kept the secret this whole time?"

"Yes," Brennan said.

"Wow," Sweets said. "I think that's more shocking than the pregnancy itself."

"Hey," Booth interrupted, "don't underestimate my kid, alright?" He laid a hand over Brennan's stomach. Suddenly Brennan yawned. "Hey, you OK, Bones?"

She nodded. "Just tired."

Booth looked to Sweets. "Go," the younger man advised.

Booth pulled Brennan up and they left the office.

"OK, Bones, just take a nap right here," Booth said, laying the blanket over Brennan as she rested on the couch.

"No, Booth, I don't need to rest, I need to look at remains. Let me up." She tried to get off the couch but Booth held her down. "Booth, let me up," she demanded.

"Bones, you're tired. You can't expect to do everything the same way now."

"I can manage."

"Bones, stop it, OK? Stop it. You have to take care of yourself. Please," he begged quietly.

She took a few moments before answering. "Fine. But only for an hour," she added, holding up a finger.

"One hour," Booth repeated, kissing her forehead. Within moments she was asleep.

Hodgins, who had inadvertently been listening outside the door, ran to Angela's office as soon as he heard Booth walking towards the door. "Angela," he said, grabbing her attention.

"Hodgins, what is it?"

"Uh…" he started. She pulled a chair out for him and he sat down. "Is something…I mean Dr. B….Is something, well…?"

"What did you hear?" Angela asked.

"I heard Booth telling her she had to rest and take care of herself and that she can't do things the way she used to and ignore everything," he said in one breath.

"Oh," was all Angela said.

"She's dying, isn't she?"

Angela almost burst out laughing. "What? Hodgins, no. Bren isn't dying."

Hodgins scrunched his face. "Then what's going on?"

"She's pregnant," came a voice from the doorway.

Hodgins' jaw dropped and he turned to see a smiling Booth leaning in the doorway. "Oh my God, man, that's awesome! Congratulations!" he said as he guy hugged Booth, who guy hugged him back.

"Thanks," Booth said. Hodgins turned to walk out. "Oh, Hodgins?" He turned back around. "If you ever eavesdrop on me and Bones again, I'll shoot you between the eyes." Hodgins ran out.

"Seriously, what if you guys had been having sex?" Angela said. Booth blushed.


	48. Office Hours

**48-Office Hours**

A few weeks had passed, and everyone at the lab certainly knew about the pregnancy. Since Brennan was so thin she wasn't showing very much, but her friends could tell she had a bump, especially when she wasn't wearing her lab coat.

Booth loved that she was starting to show. He adored her, and his heart filled with love and pride every time he thought about her carrying their child; it was more than he could have ever asked for. Every night she would lay on her back and Booth would slowly move her hands from her stomach, nudge her shirt up, and place soft kisses on her skin. He would move to her lips, and eventually, right before they would start to make love, he would look into her eyes and say, "I love you, Bones."

And so, after a few weeks, Brennan walked into the lab wearing something that set Angela's best friend, dying-for-details, oh my Lord alarm off. "Sweetie!" she called cheerfully that morning, hustling to catch up with her friend.

"Oh, hello, Angela. You certainly seem excited," Brennan observed.

"Can we talk in your office?" Angela asked. Brennan eyed her but made her way to her office with her friend. "Oh my God, Bren, I can't believe you're wearing that!" Angela exclaimed once the door was shut.

Brennan looked down. "What?"

"What do you mean what?"

Brennan narrowed her eyes. "Why can't you believe I'm wearing this? It's perfectly appropriate work attire."

Angela snorted. "Yeah, for me."

"I don't understand."

"Brennan, you would never wear that to work under normal circumstances."

"Why not? And what are normal circumstances?"

Angela held up her hand. "Let me finish. That top is hot, and I love it, but you would normally never wear it here because to you it shows too much cleavage."

"It does not!" Brennan protested.

"Sweetie, please," Angela said, holding her hand up again. "And those pants are cute, but they also make your ass look perfect."

"So? I can wear what I want, Ange."

"I know. But you wanna know what circumstances have changed?" Brennan didn't say anything and Angela moved closer. "You're horny," she said.

Brennan opened her mouth but nothing came out. Angela crossed her arms and smirked; she knew it. "Fine," Brennan finally relented. "It's the hormones. I want to have sex all the time. It's scaring me a little bit. What if I become a sex addict, Angela?"

Angela laughed and laid a hand on her friend's arm. "You're not going to become a sex addict, sweetie. Like you said, it's the hormones, and it'll pass."

Brennan nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't be getting so worried about it." She sat at her desk. "Are we done?"

"Yeah, we're done, just one more thing." Brennan looked up. "Maybe you should pay a little visit to Agent Studly later."

"I was thinking the same thing." Angela walked out and Brennan got caught up in her work.

Usually Booth came to pick her up for lunch at one, but Brennan wanted to meet him before he got to her, so she left at 12:30. "Cam, I'm gonna head out for lunch," she called as she walked towards the doors.

"OK," Cam said. Suddenly Angela appeared at Cam's side. "Dr. Brennan's leaving early for lunch? Do you know anything about this?"

"Oh, she's going to visit Booth," Angela explained.

"Doesn't he usually come here?" Cam asked.

"Cam, Cam, Cam," Angela said, patting her boss on the arm lightly. "Take a look at Bren's outfit then get back to me."

Cam stood silently for a few moments, realizing what Angela meant right before Brennan disappeared through the doors. "Wow," Cam said to herself. "OK then."

Booth was absorbed in a file when he heard a soft knock on his open door. He was surprised, as everyone had already left for lunch, and he himself was about to leave to pick up Brennan. _Well, no need_, he thought as he saw her in the door. He smiled. "Hey, Bones. I was just about to leave to come get you."

"No need, Booth."

Booth nodded. Something was up. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Very," she said, slowly moving closer.

"Great, let's go," he said, getting up and grabbing his jacket. He figured that whatever was up, she would tell him at the diner.

"Not yet," she said, lightly pushing him back into his chair.

He hadn't noticed until that moment that his door was locked and the blinds were shut. "Bones, what-?" he started to ask, but was cut off by her lips on his. It quickly turned passionate and she climbed onto the chair with him so that she was straddling him. He moaned as he felt her hands roaming his chest.

She smiled against his lips when she noticed he was already aroused, and she pushed her hips into his. Booth sucked in a breath as she did so while her fingers undid his tie. "Bones," he moaned as he felt her start to unbutton his shirt. He quickly pushed his hands under her top and slid it over her head. His rational mind was telling him that having sex at FBI headquarters wasn't such a great idea, but his irrational and much more influential mind was telling him to get her clothes off. He listened to the irrational mind and quickly disposed of the rest of her clothing.

His shirt had been unbuttoned but left on, and his pants and boxers were pushed down but not taken off. He didn't care; as long as he could feel her bare skin on his he was more than happy. He felt his arms go to rest on the armrests of the chair and remembered exactly where he was. "Bones, I don't think doing this right here is such a good idea," he said. _Why would you say that?_ his irrational mind berated him.

"Would you rather be on your desk? Or on the floor?" she asked.

"No, Bones, I mean in my office," he said after taking a moment to realize how she had interpreted the statement.

"Everyone's at lunch," she said.

_She has a point_, his irrational mind said.

"It's your choice, Booth," she said seductively, but really there was no choice. The need to be with her was so strong he was afraid it would crush him. His chest heaved as he panted, and he watched as Brennan's eyes fell to the bare skin there. His control and inhibitions snapped when she bent her head and rasped her tongue over one nipple, then the other. She came up and kissed him thoroughly, letting her tongue languidly explore his mouth.

His hips arched against hers desperately, and he broke the kiss to utter one phrase: "Ride me," he whispered. She joined them and he stifled a scream as he gripped the armrests of the chair so as not to rush her. As she started to move he leaned forward and kissed everywhere his lips could reach. He moved his hips in tandem with hers, and soon everything but the way she made him feel was blocked out. "Oh my God," he breathed as she started to move faster and harder and his head fell back to rest on the top of the chair.

She was running her hands and nails all along his chest and below his pelvis, which caused him to whimper and tighten his grip on the chair. "Bones, I need," he started, unable to articulate what he wanted.

"Please, Booth," she cried, grabbing his shoulders. He finally grabbed her hips and shoved himself upwards. The only part of either of them actually touching the chair was Booth's elbows as every push and pull brought them nearer to the end. "Oh, God, please, more," she cried as she arched her back. The thought of someone hearing them briefly flitted through Booth's mind, but when she called his name he didn't particularly care who heard them. "Don't stop, Booth," she begged, looking him in the eye.

He almost lost it right there, but he managed to hold on. "Oh, Bones, Jesus," he said through clenched teeth as he rapidly jerked into her.

"Oh, Booth, right there. Oh, God." One more push had them both calling the other's name, and after they returned to reality Booth lowered himself back to the chair and cradled Brennan on his lap. He stroked the stray hairs from her face and kissed her on the head. "I'm tired," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, we still have…oh wow only five minutes," Booth said, looking at the clock on his computer.

"Five minutes?" Brennan asked, jerking up and leaping to get dressed. "Here," she said, throwing him his tie. "I have to get back to the lab," she said breathlessly as she put her shoes on. "Bye, Booth," she said, hastily kissing him as he buckled his belt.

"Bones, wait," he said, grabbing her by the arm. Their eyes locked and her rush was forgotten as she was only aware of him and that moment. "I love you," he said silkily.

"I love you too," she said, and they shared another kiss before she opened the blinds and left the office.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan jumped. "Oh, Charlie, hi. Sorry, you scared me."

"No problem, Dr. Brennan. Have a nice day." He made his way to Booth's office and found him reading the exact same file he'd been reading an hour ago, not that Charlie knew that. "Agent Booth?"

"Charlie, hey. What's up?" Booth asked, hoping his appearance didn't reek of his recent actions.

"Um, is Dr. Brennan OK? She seemed a little flushed."

Booth resisted the urge to laugh. "She's fine, she's just in a hurry."

"Oh. OK," Charlie said, nodding his head.

"So, what did you need?"


	49. Kick Me

**49-Kick Me**

"Hey, sweetie, I have the facial reconstruction," Angela said as she walked over to Brennan, who was examining the bones of their latest victim.

"Great, Ange, thanks. Do you mind getting me a tissue?"

"Why is your nose running so much? Oh my God you're not sick, are you?" Angela asked as she returned from her office with a box of tissues.

"No," Brennan said into the tissue. "The doctor said a runny nose is a symptom of pregnancy."

They heard a noise and Booth was bouncing up the platform. "Whaddaya got, Bones?"

"Well," she said, sniffing, "the victim was female, approximately sixty years old. Angela has the face for you."

"Thanks, Bones," he said, and continued to look at her.

"Yes, Booth?" she said, without looking up.

He just smiled and shook his head before leaving the platform to find Angela.

"I searched the FBI database and found our victim," Booth announced later that day. "Maude Arlington," he said as he held up her picture.

"Geez," Hodgins said as he looked at the frowning, wrinkled face. Wendell started to laugh but held it in.

"Wait a minute," Angela started. "Do you mean that's Maude _Arlington_?"

"Yeah, Ange, I just said that," Booth replied.

"Oh my God," Hodgins said suddenly. "That's her."

"That's who?" Booth said, getting slightly irritated.

"Oh, yeah, that lady," Wendell added, walking up to get a closer look.

"What lady? What's going on?" Booth asked loudly.

"She was John Arlington's wife," Hodgins said.

"The fur mogul?" Booth asked.

"One in the same. His wife was found missing three months ago."

"That would fit the time period of these injuries," Brennan remarked, examining one of the bones. "Look at this, Wendell. Do you see that-ow!" she yelped, grabbing her wrist.

"Dr. Brennan, are you alright?" Wendell asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"Bones," Booth warned.

"Booth, I don't need-."

"Bones, don't you dare argue with me," Booth said sternly, and to everyone's surprise, Brennan blinked and acquiesced. "Your wrist hurts?" he asked, stepping closer.

"It's fine."

"Bones, I don't want-," Booth started, but he was cut off.

"It's OK, Booth. Just an ache, nothing more," she said matter-of-factly. She had prepared herself for Booth's extra over-protectiveness, and she knew she had to soothe him before he really got off and demanded that she go home early, which was what he had been trying to do for the past month. To everyone's surprise, Booth nodded his understanding and left the platform, knowing that she wouldn't give in, and also knowing that was one of the things he loved most about her.

He stayed on the walkway above the platform, watching her as he always did as she worked for hours. She'd been having more frequent mood swings, but he couldn't blame her. He was happy to be part of the pregnancy, and so incredibly overjoyed that they were having a baby together. He knew they could deal with all the mood swings, runny noses, and aching joints, because in the end they'd have a beautiful baby.

He saw her set down her pen and he knew she was ready to leave. He hurried off the walkway to meet her and walk with her to her office. "She was definitely attacked," Brennan said as she gathered her things. "She tried to defend herself, but she was hit over the head."

"That's how she died?" Booth asked as he helped her with her coat.

"Yes," she said, then sighed.

"Tired?" Booth asked as he picked up her bag.

"Not particularly," she said. "Just-ooh," she said, putting her hands to her stomach.

"Bones, what's wrong?" Booth asked in a panic, his eyes growing wide. "Is the baby coming? Oh my God, no, it's way too early," he rambled, running his hand through his hair.

"Booth," Brennan said, trying to get his attention. "Booth!"

"Yeah?" he asked, finally stopping his pacing.

Brennan laughed at his confused expression. "The baby isn't coming yet."

"Then what happened?"

"Come here." Booth walked over and Brennan grabbed his hands and put them on her stomach. A second later Booth felt the distinct thumping of the baby's feet.

"Oh my God," he said, his smile wide. He leaned down and talked to the baby just like he did when Brennan told him she was pregnant. "Hey there," he said softly. Brennan sucked in a breath as the baby gave a particularly hard kick. "You like to move around, don't you?" Booth asked laughingly. "Are you gonna keep kicking Mommy like that?" The baby kicked again. "Oh, OK, I see." He kissed her stomach and took her hand, guiding them out of the lab.


	50. Out in the Field

**50-Out in the Field**

"Why would Arlington murder his wife if he was the one with all the money?" Brennan asked as they drove to the Arlington mansion.

"I don't know, Bones. Maybe he was having an affair."

She rolled her eyes. "That is pure speculation, Booth. There is absolutely no evidence to this point that would indicate he was cheating on his wife."

Booth patted her knee and smiled. "You keep me grounded, Bones." They pulled up to the mansion and saw a new Ferrari sitting in the driveway. "Alright, Bones, looks like someone's here, probably him, so just stay here and I'll-ow!" he shouted as he felt a punch to his arm. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing the spot.

"Oh don't be a baby," she chastised.

"You're strong, Bones," he whined.

"You know damn well I'm not going to stay here while you go in the house," she said, getting right to the point.

"Bones, look at you, you're about ready to pop!"

"Booth, it's physically impossible for someone to-."

"Figure of speech, Bones," he said, cutting her off. "You said you wanted to come out in the field so-."

Now it was her turn to cut him off. "Yes, the _field_. Not the car," she said. He got out of the car and she got out as well.

"Bones," he warned.

"Booth," she reciprocated.

"Stay behind me," he said with finality. "And do as I say."

She nodded and muttered "Alpha male" under her breath, which he heard. He turned, gave her a look, but said nothing as they approached the door.

"Mr. Arlington?" Booth called as he knocked.

"Come in," Arlington called from inside. Booth entered with Brennan a second behind.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions, Mr. Arlington," Booth said while Brennan inspected the rooms.

"Yeah?" he asked. "What about?"

"Your wife, Maude."

Arlington's eyes hardened. "I'd like to ask you to leave."

"We're not leaving without you," Booth replied.

"Booth!"

"What is it, Bones?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on Arlington.

"I found blood."

Arlington lunged but Booth was quicker. He pulled Arlington to the ground and they wrestled for dominance. Brennan grabbed a lamp from the next room and made her way over as quickly as she could. Seeing Arlington on top of Booth, she raised the lamp. "Watch out, Booth," she warned, and Booth turned his face away just as Arlington looked up and Brennan smashed the lamp in his face.

Arlington screamed and used his hands to cover his face. Booth took the opportunity to switch their positions and handcuff the other man. Backup arrived and took Arlington to be held until his interrogation.

"You know," Brennan said as they got back in the car, "it's a good thing I came in with you."

"Yeah well if you didn't I never would have had to tackle him in the first place."

"But I never would have found the blood."

"You would have eventually."

Brennan shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. It certainly makes the case faster to get it all done at once."

"I suppose you're right, Bones."

Brennan narrowed her eyes at him. "You know I'm right, Booth." Booth looked over at her expression and laughed, kissing her on the head. "Booth, pay attention, you're going to drive off the road!" she yelled laughingly.

"It's fine, Bones," Booth said as crossed back over the double line into the correct lane.

"Geez, and you think Arlington is dangerous." Booth laughed again.


	51. Manual Labor

**51-Manual Labor**

"Well, he confessed," Booth sighed, hands in his pockets.

"I'm glad he's locked away," Angela said with relief.

"Me too," Hodgins agreed, wrapping an arm around Angela.

"Why did he do it?" Angela asked.

Booth laughed shortly. "He found out she never signed the pre-nup."

Everyone on the platform broke into laughter. "Dude, that _blows_," Hodgins said between laughs.

"He probably loved his money more than he loved her," Cam added.

Booth shrugged. "Yeah, maybe," he said softly.

"Hey, Booth?"

Booth turned to see Brennan shuffling across the floor towards the platform. "Oh my God, Bones, what's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts," she moaned.

"Sweetie, I think your water just broke," Angela said.

Booth sprung into action. "Angela, get the overnight bag thing. Hodgins, which car did you drive today?"

"I've been driving the Ferrari for a month in anticipation of this moment, dude," Hodgins said with a smile.

Booth clapped his hands. "Good thinking. Start it. I'll drive in front of you with the sirens."

"You will not," Brennan commanded.

Booth closed the distance between them. "Bones, you're in labor. You need to get to the hospital, so dammit if I'm not using the freaking sirens." Brennan screamed as a contraction hit her and Booth guided her into a chair. "Cam, can you call the hospital?"

"Of course," she said, dialing her cell phone.

"Shh, Bones, you're alright," Booth soothed.

"Ugh, this really hurts!"

"I know, I know."

Brennan gave him a hard glare. "You have no idea."

"You're right, I don't know," he agreed, trying not to upset her more. "OK, Angela's back, let's get you in the car." Booth, Brennan, and Angela jumped into the SUV as fast as they could, while Hodgins and Cam hopped into the Ferrari.

"Oww, Booth, how much farther?" Brennan asked while she squeezed Angela's hand as they sat in the back seat.

"Almost there, Bones."

As soon as they got to the hospital they all rushed out to help Brennan inside. She was quickly put in a wheelchair and Booth held her hand on the way to the delivery room. "Booth," she moaned.

"I'm right here, Bones."

"Booth, I can't do this," Brennan panted.

"Yes you can."

"No. No, I can't. I can't do this."

Booth stopped the wheelchair. "Temperance Brennan listen to me." She met his eyes, breathing heavily. "You are the strongest person I know. This is perfectly natural, you know that. You can do this. You _have_ to do this. I need you, Bones. Our baby needs you." Her eyes turned determined and she nodded. Booth gave her a kiss and pushed her into the delivery room.

"Well, Temperance, good thing you got here when you did; you're ready to push!" the doctor announced. Brennan tried not to scream too loudly as she pushed and squeezed Booth's hand.

"Bones, that's my shooting hand," Booth said once she had relaxed.

"Well then switch sides because I need you," she commanded. Booth rushed to the other side of the bed and grabbed her hand. "Ow, ow, ow, ow," Brennan repeated as she pushed again.

"OK, Temperance, one more big push and you can meet your baby," the doctor informed her.

"You can do it, Bones," Booth encouraged, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Ready…push!" the doctor said, and Brennan's yell was followed by a loud cry.

"You did it, Bones. You did it," Booth whispered as he stroked her head and kissed her.

"Booth," Brennan panted, "how's the baby?"

Booth walked over to where the doctor and the nurse were performing the APGAR test. "Beautiful," he whispered to her. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Nothing's wrong?" she asked.

"The baby's perfect, Bones," he soothed as he stroked her head.

She smiled. "Good."

"Thank you," Booth whispered, his tone of voice and entire being filled with love.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Booth," Brennan whispered as they smiled at each other.

The doctor approached them a moment later. "Would you like to meet your son?" he asked happily.

Booth and Brennan looked at each other with a mix of excitement, pure joy, and awe. "We have a boy?" Brennan asked quietly as she accepted their son from the doctor's arms.

"Oh, God, Bones, he's beautiful."

"He really is," she said with tears in her eyes. "What should we name him?" They locked eyes and immediately knew.

"James," they both said.


	52. The Most Perfect Thing

**thank you all for reading and reviewing! it was really fun to write this story, and there is a sequel if you're interested. thanks again!

* * *

**

52-The Most Perfect Thing

"What about a middle name?" Brennan asked.

Booth thought as they stared down at their baby boy. "Richard?" he asked.

Brennan nodded. "I like it. Where did you get it?"

"Um…." Booth hesitated. Brennan looked at him expectantly. "Mike Richards, the captain of the Flyers."

Brennan laughed. "James Richard Booth. If he's not a hockey player…."

Booth joined in on the laughter and James responded by wiggling in Brennan's arms. "Are you ready to tell them?" he asked.

Brennan nodded. "Let's do it."

"Ugh, I'm so nervous!" Angela admitted, pacing the waiting room.

"I'm sure they're fine, Ange," Hodgins assured her.

"I know, I just wish-."

"Guys?" Booth said, peeking out into the waiting room.

"Booth!" Angela yelled.

"What's the news?" Cam asked nervously.

"We have a son." Screams bounced off the walls as everyone hugged each other and celebrated. "Would you like to see him?" Everyone tried not to run into the room, which led to a humorous attempt at speed walking.

"Oh, Bren, he's gorgeous," Angela said as she held him. "What's his name?"

"James Richard Booth," Brennan answered.

"Hey there, James. I'm your Uncle Jack." James squirmed in his arms and reached for Hodgins' beard, becoming excited when his hand touched something new. Everyone laughed as Cam held James and rocked him.

"Hey there, little man. You've got your mommy's eyes, you know that?" James stared at the new woman in wonder. "Yeah. But look at all that hair, just like your daddy." Brennan and Booth smiled at each other as Booth took the baby and gave him to Brennan.

"Oh, guys," Angela said, tearing up. "I bet he's a genius with a lion heart." Hodgins wrapped an arm around her as she wiped her tears away.

"Thanks, you guys," Booth said. After a while, everyone left and Booth put James in the bassinet so he could sleep. The nurse came and took him to the nursery so the couple could have a quiet night.

Early in the evening, a light knock was heard on the door followed by a glimpse of blonde hair. "Daddy? Dr. Bones?"

"Hey, buddy," Booth said, leading him into the room by his hand.

"Dr. Bones, are you OK?" Parker asked.

"I'm great, sweetheart."

"Where's the baby?"

"He's in the nursery," Booth told him. "Bones, you gonna be OK?" Brennan narrowed her eyes good-naturedly. Booth laughed and led Parker to the window.

"Which one is it?" Parker asked, gazing at the many babies.

"He's right there," Booth said, holding Parker so he could see.

Parker looked at his father wide-eyed. "A brother?" he asked.

"A brother," Booth repeated.

"Yes!" Parker exclaimed and hugged Booth fiercely.

Jared, Cullen, Charlie, Max, Sweets, Russ and his family, and Gordon Gordon all stopped by to see the baby before visiting hours were over. Eventually, Booth sprawled on the couch next to Brennan's bed and they both slept soundly.

The next morning, Booth and Brennan sat on the bed as they waited for the nurse to discharge Brennan. They were both looking down at James, who had wrapped his impossibly small hand around Booth's index finger and was refusing to let go. "Oh, Booth," Brennan started, "he's the most perfect thing we've ever done together."

Booth looked to her then back to the baby. "I concur."


End file.
